Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Pilot Near Miami

MIAMI, FL -- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search on Saturday for the missing pilot of a twin-engine aircraft that was forced to make an emergency ocean landing and broke apart about 13 miles east of Bay Harbor Island in Miami-Dade County.

The Coast Guard reported that the search was suspended shortly after 2 p.m. following maritime and aerial searches that lasted approximately 21 hours in an area of 364 square nautical miles. Numerous other searches were conducted by Miami-Dade police and other agencies.

“Suspending a search is never an easy decision and a lot of factors are considered and calculated before we make that decision,” said Capt. Megan Dean, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami. “We have been in regular contact with the family members throughout our search efforts and extend our sympathies for what we know is a very difficult time for them.”

FAA records show that the aircraft is registered to Conquest Air Inc., which operates a fleet of four charter cargo planes out of Miami Lakes, Florida.

Company CEO Marc Wolff told Patch that the missing crew member was 68-year-old Robert Hopkins, who had been with the company only a short time but was an experienced pilot.

"Excellent pilot. He has flown with the major airlines," Wolff told Patch Friday afternoon shortly after the plane went down. "He has been with us probably four months, five months right around there. Solid guy, solid pilot."

Wolff said first officer Rolland Silva was rescued by the Coast Guard and was in stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Video from a news helicopter showed the dramatic rescue of Silva as he was hoisted from the water in a rescue basket by a Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew.

"We've never had an accident like this, no," Wolff said, adding that he didn't know what went wrong with the aircraft. "We know that ... they called Opa Locka Tower. They were doing an emergency water landing. That's basically all the information that we have."

A Coast Guard spokesman told patch that rescuers had been searching for Hopkins in the area around the wreckage. They continued the search overnight Friday into Saturday afternoon

"We were able to rescue one person from the water," he explained. "We have multiple assets and partner agencies that are out there as well."

A wing from the aircraft could be seen floating in the ocean along with other debris on Friday.

Watch below as a Coast Guard helicopter took off to assist in the search:

Kathleen Bergen of the Federal Aviation Administration told Patch that the Conquest Air 504, a Convair aircraft, landed in the water about 20 miles southeast of Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF) around 12:15 p.m. on Friday.

"The US Coast Guard responded to the scene for search and rescue," Bergen said. "Preliminary indication is that two people were on board. The aircraft departed from Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas and was headed to OPF."

In addition to the Coast Guard, units from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the Miami-Dade Police Department and Customs and Border Protection participated in the search along with a commercial salvage crew.

Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard