Crews search for pilot after small plane crashes off Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Crews searched waters off the coast of Georgia on Friday for the pilot of a small plane that officials said crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a statement saying it’s investigating what caused the Cirrus SR22 aircraft to go down in waters about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Savannah.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed only the pilot was on board when the single-engine plane crashed at about 9 a.m., news outlets reported.

The Coast Guard dispatched a boat crew and a helicopter to search waters off Wassaw Island, one of the barrier islands along Georgia’s 100-mile (160-kilometer) coast.