A small plane crashed into Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans on Monday evening (November 24) during a training flight, prompting an ongoing search and rescue operation. The aircraft, a Cessna 172N, lost communication with air traffic control approximately four miles north of Lakefront Airport, according to the United States Coast Guard. The plane was operated by Apollo Flight Training, a Mississippi-based flight school.

On board were an instructor and a student, both in their mid-20s, who were on a training flight from Gulfport, Mississippi, to New Orleans to practice approaches. The instructor, described as "highly qualified," was close to meeting the requirements to become an airline pilot, while the student was working towards a commercial and instrument license.

The Coast Guard

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