Tampa victim in Gulf crash identified

Contributor: Blake Sabatinelli
Email: bsabatinelli@wfts.com
Contributor: Daniel Champagne
Contributor: Associated Press
Last Update: 7/10 2:23 pm

Coast Guard ends search for plane crash victims

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PORT RICHEY, FL -- The Coast Guard ended its search Thursday for five people aboard a small plane that crashed in the Gulf of Mexico, saying it believes all are dead.

The search was stopped "Based on the catastrophic nature of the crash," according to a Coast Guard news release.

A Tampa steel company employee was among those onboard the twin-engine plane that crashed Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities told ABC Action News that the passenger, Mike Parks, worked for the Tampa branch of McNichols Co., a steel service center. Parks was the company's media production manager and had worked there for 11 years.

The identity of another passenger has not been released.

Authorities say the Cessna 421C, with five people aboard, was flying from McKinney, Texas, when it went down about 20 miles west of Port Richey.

The Coast Guard said search teams found a two-mile debris field around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A president and a company pilot for Quality Powder Coating were aboard the aircraft. They're identified as Roland Schurrer, company president and Steve Barrows, company pilot and marketing representative.

The company coats metal products.

The remains were taken to the Pinellas County Medical Examiner's Office for identification. Authorities did not say whether remains from all five people were found.

The wreckage was brought to the Coast Guard station in St. Petersburg Wednesday night aboard the cutter Alligator.

The aircraft left Collin County Regional Airport en route to Tampa about 10 a.m. Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration says air traffic controllers in Jacksonville lost radio and radar contact with the plane at 1:52 p.m. after it reported encountering turbulence.

FAA spokesman J. Lynn Lunsford told the Dallas Moring News that in his last communication, the pilot "reported heavy turbulence, loss of control and inverted flight.”

It's believed the aircraft was at an altitude of about 5,000 feet at the time.

Records indicate the plane is owned by Q4 Aviation in Carrollton, Texas.

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