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Small Airplane Crashes Near New Jersey Coast, Search For Missing Pilot Continues

CAPE MAY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A small plane has crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape May Point in New Jersey. The pilot of the aircraft is still missing.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the single engine Mooney M20J went down in the area around the Cape May Lighthouse and quickly submerged into about 18 feet of water Wednesday morning.

The owner of the plane says the male pilot was a regular customer who flew recreationally.

Lisa Campbell is the plane's owner and operates Air-Mods Flight Training Center at the Trenton-Robbinsville airport. The craft departed from the airport, more than 100 miles away from the crash site, around 8 a.m.

Campbell said the pilot wasn't one of the banner carriers that are regulars at the shore. She added his credentials and the aircraft were "all in order."

Divers with the Cape May Fire Department and lifeguards were at the scene Wednesday. There is no word on what caused the plane to crash.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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