Coast Guard suspends search for Oregon plane crash victims

BROOKINGS , Ore., July 6 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for three people aboard a downed aircraft off the coast of southwestern Oregon.

A 1964 Cessna 172F, was reported downed Tuesday near Brookings, Ore. On board were pilot John Belnap; his son Max, 17, and a friend, Ryan Merker, 17.

A backpack believed to be owned by one of the plane's occupants washed ashore near a park 4 miles north of Brookings Airport.

The search by a Coast Guard plane, several helicopters and a patrol boat, covered 540 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The Civil Air Patrol and the Curry County, Ore., Sheriff's Office were also involved in the search, which began Tuesday morning; it was suspended about 12 hours later.

The cause of the suspected crash remains unknown.