Gerald Miletello, Dexter Brewer, and Ron Gregory missing after plane crashes off of Belle Fontaine Beach in Jackson County, Mississippi

The search continues in the Mississippi Sound for three men believed to have been in an airplane that crashed into the water south of Jackson County on Monday. The search and rescue mission has now been going on for more than 24 hours and will continue through Wednesday. Plane debris can be found lining the shore of the remote Belle Fontaine Beach, southeast of Ocean Springs. Department of Marine Resources Chief of Marine Patrol Keith Davis said more wreckage could wash up. He said if people in the area see the debris, do not touch it and stay away.

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for three people aboard a Lancair single-engine plane that crashed Monday in the Mississippi Sound. Brandon Lechthaler, deputy commander, Coast Guard Sector Mobile, said in news release that suspending a search is a difficult decision to make. According to the news release, the Coast Guard and response crews covered more than 3,500 square miles in their search efforts. Part of the tail was found on an Ocean Springs beach Tuesday, and officials had been searching nearby waters. Gerald Miletello of West Monroe, Louisiana, along with Dexter Brewer of Saucier, Mississippi, and pilot Ron Gregory have been missing since their aircraft disappeared just minutes after taking off from the Million Air terminal at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

NTSB will rely on data to investigate plane crash Posted: Updated: The NTSB must rely on radar data, and air traffic control communications to help piece together the final moments of this ill-fated flight. (Photo Source: WLOX) Since the search for a crashed plane started Monday, several people have wondered when the National Transportation Safety Board will get involved. In an email from NTSB sent Thursday afternoon, officials noted that the downed aircraft did not contain a black box, and any data discovered by search teams will take a couple of weeks to review. The NTSB must rely on radar data, and air traffic control communications to help piece together the final moments of this ill-fated flight. Weather conditions, medical records and maintenance records will also be analyzed. The email also noted that it’s possible a preliminary report from the NTSB could be released next week.

The pilot, Ron Gregory, had more than 4,400 hours of flight experience and received his FAA medical certificate in September of 2014. The National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report does not point to what caused the plane to drop from the sky, but it does give details about the stormy weather that day. The report notes the pilot told air traffic controllers in Gulfport he was going to take some pictures in the local area before continuing on to Daytona Beach. We have new information about the crash of a small plane in the Mississippi Sound almost two weeks ago that killed three men. The Department of Marine Resources and the Jackson County Sheriff's flotilla are still searching for Ron Gregory, Dexter Brewer, Gerald Miletello and the rest of the plane.