DESTIN, Fla. (AP) -- The Coast Guard has recovered the body of a man who authorities believe was piloting a small aircraft that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off Destin.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley says in a statement that authorities received 911 calls Tuesday evening from witnesses who saw a plane hit the water. The sheriff's office, Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission subsequently launched boats to begin a search.
Responders found a body that they believe to be the pilot of the plane. Authorities are working to confirm the man's identity and to notify his family.
Ashley says an initial investigation has indicated that the plane took off from the Destin Airport prior to the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the cause of the crash.
