NEW ORLEANS - Authorities are still trying to piece together what happened after a small plane crashed into Lake Pontchartrain on Monday, killing a flight instructor and a student. 

According to a report by WWL, the flight instructor was identified as Taylor Dickey,30, an instructor at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport since June 2024.

The student, who has not been officially named, was nearing completion of his training for his commercial pilot's license. 

The Coast Guard suspended its search for the two pilots on Wednesday after crews spent nearly two days searching for the missing aircraft.

Apollo Flight Training's owner, Michael Carastro, said that preliminary data showed the crash was not caused by mechanical issues and that there was no distress call.

"I’ve been instructing for 46 years," Carastro said. "I’ve never—never—had this. It’s my first. So it’s hitting me pretty hard, as well as the rest of the employees here at Apollo and Million Air, because both individuals were very well liked. And so we're devastated."

The New Orleans Police Department said it identified several objects believed to be debris from the missing plane on Friday.