Once again, members of Florida Civil Air Patrol (CAP) have been asked to search for a missing aircraft in South West Florida.

The United States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center contacted CAP early this morning after being contacted by the State Warning Point in Tallahassee that a small aircraft was overdue and feared missing from Venice Municipal Airport, according to Lt Colonel Gary Nelson, CAP Incident Commander for this search mission.

Six volunteer CAP aircrews, working in tandem with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Venice Police Department, and the United States Coast Guard flew numerous search flights both over-water as well near the shore, while several highly trained ground teams scoured the beaches, looking for clues of the missing aircraft, presumed to be lost off-shore. A quickly assembled mission base team staffed by CAP members from as away far as Jacksonville and Miami supported these crews.