FAA: Single-Engine Plane Crashes Into Ocean Near Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A small airplane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Atlantic City on Thursday, officials said.

The single-engine Mooney M20 aircraft crashed about 20 miles southeast of Atlantic City at around 2:45 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The plane was traveling from Gaylord, Michigan, to Atlantic City International Airport, officials said.

No details were immediately available on the number of passengers or condition of anyone aboard the plane.

Public Affairs Chief Nick Ameen said the Coast Guard is in an active search-and-rescue mode with multiple boat crews and a helicopter crew.

Flight tracking software shows the plane traveling past the airport at around 20,000 feet. It began quickly descending, going from a drop rate of 1,113 feet per minute to 5,438 feet per minute over the course of two minutes while heading east and out to sea, according to the data.

Ryan Jorgenson, a data analyst with FlightAware, called that descent rate "not normal.''

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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