Update on Recovery Operations from Aitheras Aviation Group

CLEVELAND, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The following information provides an overview of activities and progress in organizing the recovery efforts for the Beechcraft Baron 58 and the body of the pilot which went down in Lake Erie on Wednesday evening, January 16th.

    -- A recovery team has been assembled, consisting of a salvage company and
       commercial divers, to coordinate the raising and towing of the plane to
       shore. This team is working closely with representatives from Burke
       Lakefront Airport and the appropriate federal agencies (the Federal
       Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board)
       to ensure that proper protocols are followed throughout the process.
    -- The team will be assessing a variety of factors -- including weather
       conditions and the safety of the recovery team -- and determining the
       earliest possible time when the recovery efforts can be commenced in
       the lake. That decision has not yet been made, but it is expected
       shortly.
    -- Once the plane has been brought to shore, it will be moved to a secure
       location on Burke Lakefront Airport property so that investigators can
       conduct their work to determine the cause of the accident.


    Further information will be provided as it becomes available later today.

Note: Several news reports have erroneously stated that the plan was owned by Aitheras Aviation Group. That is not correct. The plane is owned by EverAir LLC of Niagara Falls, New York. Aitheras Aviation Group manages the aircraft for EverAir and provides pilot services for them.