PLAINEFIELD, Ind., July 23 (UPI) -- A father and son attempting to fly around the world crashed after taking off from American Samoa, killing the son and leaving the father missing.
Babar Suleman and his 17-year-old son Haris were flying a single-engine Hawker Beechcraft BE36, attempting to make it around the world in 30 days and promote education for underprivileged children.
"Haris will be the youngest pilot in command (PIC) to accomplish this feat," according to the Suleman's GoFundMe page.
"Full 60% of this trip is over large expanses of water that includes the Atlantic, the Pacific and lesser portions of the Indian Ocean as well ... All in all, despite the advances in electronics, it is still a dangerous undertaking."
The Plainfield Indiana natives took off on June 21 and Haris had been documenting the journey on his Twitter page, tweeting a picture from Pago Pago as recently as Tuesday afternoon.
The beauty of Pago Pago! pic.twitter.com/1zTWFtj6fO
— BonanzaBoi (@worldrounder) July 22, 2014On Wednesday, the FAA confirmed the Sulemans' plane crashed into the ocean due to unknown circumstances shortly after taking off from Pago Pago International Airport.
American-Pakistani Haris Suleman's plane crashed in the sea on way from #Hawai to #California. #CapitalTV pic.twitter.com/942DpOsVEi
— Capital TV (@CapitalTV_News) July 23, 2014The coast guard has recovered the wreckage and Haris' remains, but Babar is still missing.
Haris would have been a senior at Plainfield High School in the fall.
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