PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) — A man who saw a plane flown by an Indiana teen who was killed during an around-the-world flight attempt says the aircraft was flying low but didn’t show any obvious signs of distress before diving into the ocean off American Samoa.
Bert Thompson of Matuu, American Samoa, told The Associated Press on Thursday he saw no fire, explosions or emergency lighting on the plane carrying 17-year-old Haris Suleman and his father, Babar Suleman, 58.
“It just went down — dived into the ocean,” said Thompson, who saw the plane while sitting at a bus stop in his shoreline village.
Haris Suleman’s body was recovered shortly after Tuesday’s crash. Crews are still searching for his father.
Thompson said he thought the plane would gain altitude, but it dived downward. He ran home and called police, and patrol boats arrived about an hour later, he said.
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