Ocean City – Maryland State Police along with local and federal agencies are involved in the search for a missing plane in Worcester County, according to Maryland State Police.
Officials said shortly after 10 a.m. today, federal officials notified the Maryland State Police Special Operations Division that an aircraft believed to be a single-engine, four-passenger plane left Martin State Airport last night en route to Ocean City and had not yet returned. It is unknown for certain how many people were on-board the plane. It was determined the aircraft was not at the Ocean City Airport.
A search of the area near the Ocean City Airport was initiated late this morning. The crew of Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 4 and Civil Air Patrol personnel have located what is described as an oil slick in the ocean, about 1.5 miles from the Ocean City Airport.
Rescue personnel are focusing their search on that area at this time. Although the aircraft has not been spotted, Natural Resources Police officers in the water near the oil slick have recovered debris believed to be associated with an aircraft.
The Maryland State Police Underwater Recovery Unit is on-scene. Assistance has and continues to be provided by the US Coast Guard, Natural Resources Police, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police troopers and members of the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.
A command center has been established at the Maryland Natural Resources Police Boathouse on Harbor Road in West Ocean City.
Image Credits: Maryland DNR