Phoenix Divers Assist with Airplane Recovery

Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. (Phoenix) divers were recently contracted by Blount Brothers Construction to assist with the recovery of an aircraft that crashed and sank in the Red River on Sunday, November 24.

Working in conjunction with Marine Unit Deputies from the Caddo & Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Offices, Phoenix’s dive team set up onshore while Marine Unit Deputies used emergency locator transmitters and sonar to pinpoint and mark where the plane went down. Once found, Phoenix divers dove on site to rig up the plane to be hoisted onto the waiting Blount Brothers barge.

Commenting on the project, Troy Turner, Area Manager for Bayou Vista, LA stated, “Phoenix has over 20 years of experience with search and recovery missions both Commercial & Military. We are pleased that the aircraft was successfully recovered and that both occupants of the plane were able to go home safely to their families.”

The single-engine Cessna went down while the pilot and passenger were practicing touch-and-go landings at the downtown airport. Both men escaped from the plane and swam to the bank.

Phoenix is an employee-owned, ISO 9001-2015 Management System certified marine services contractor providing manned and unmanned underwater solutions, design engineering, and project management services to a diverse set of clients worldwide. Expertise is available from one international and eight U.S. offices in the areas of submarine rescue, wet and dry hyperbaric welding, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), subsea engineering, conventional and atmospheric diving, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operations. Company capabilities are directed to underwater inspection, maintenance, and repair; deep ocean survey, search and recovery operations; submarine rescue; construction; subsea tieback; plug and abandonment; subsea mining; archaeological; and documentary projects.

Location: Largo, MD, USA