What began as a search and rescue mission has now become a recovery effort in an attempt to locate an aircraft that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico some 17 miles north of Sugarloaf Key.
Alexandra Tufo and her boyfriend Thomas Campana took off from Palm Beach on Feb. 27, headed for Key West in Campana’s single engine Vans RV-12 plane. Unfortunately, the couple never reached their destination.
Upon receiving reports of an overdue aircraft on March 1, the Coast Guard began a joint search for more than 72 hours, collaborating with FWC and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Working with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and the Federal Aviation Administration, Coast Guard crews laid out the most probable search area based on the plane’s last known appearance on radar.
After an air crew located an oily sheen within the search area, MCSO divers eventually recovered two pieces of the plane on March 3, identifying the tail number of the missing plane on the ocean floor.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Alexandra Tufo and Thomas Campana,” said Commander Lindsey Seniuk, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard District Seven. “This was a challenging case and it made the decision to suspend that much harder after our partners found the debris field. The MCSO divers are the experts in this new phase of the search, and our crews will be ready if our assistance is requested.”
In a statement released on March 4, FWC Captain David Dipre confirmed that search and rescue efforts have been suspended. “The search and rescue has now become a recovery effort for all agencies involved,” said Dipre. “FWC will work to coordinate efforts and provide all assistance needed to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as they conduct their investigation.”
The agencies’ recovery efforts are dependent upon weather conditions, the condition of the aircraft, and the size of the crash site. As of the March 4 statement, FWC hoped to resume recovery efforts on March 8 if conditions were favorable.
