Two Victims of Air Crash Still Missing in Ocean

A team of divers searched the ocean off Malibu Saturday for two men killed in the crash of a light plane but found no trace of the wreckage or victims, authorities said.

The men, John Harris of Northridge, believed to be in his 20s, and Matthew Frey, 23, of Canoga Park, and two others were aboard a Piper Warrior PA-28 that crashed into the ocean near Malibu Colony Thursday night.

The search involved about 10 county lifeguards and Sheriff’s Department divers, Lt. Mickey Gallagher said. The effort was unsuccessful and was called off at 2 p.m. Divers were to resume the search Monday.

The airplane’s left wheel and nose wheels and a small part of the fuselage were found in the water shortly after the crash, Gallagher said.

Coast Guard officials said the chances of finding the men alive were “basically nil” because the water at 60 degrees is too cold for anyone to survive for more than four to eight hours.

The pilot of the craft, Roger Amiriam, 23, of Burbank, and another passenger, Laurie Thuer, 21, of Simi Valley, were rescued about an hour after the plane went down about 1.5 miles from shore in water 120 feet deep. Neither Amiriam nor Thuer was seriously hurt.

Amiriam told authorities that the plane pitched down into the ocean as he made a bank turn to the left.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were investigating the crash.