An American teenager who was
trying to set a world record for flying
around the world was killed and his
father is missing after their plane
crashed into the ocean off American
Samoa on Tuesday night, the boy's
family said.
Haris Suleman, 17, was trying to make
the trip in 30 days and was due home
in Indiana on Saturday, his sister Hiba
Suleman said. The teen's body was
recovered.
Still missing was his father, Babar
Suleman, who was traveling with Haris
and who is also a pilot.
"We're hoping my dad is alive and well,
and we're going to keep praying until
we have a definitive answer," Hiba
Suleman said.
She told reporters the plane was about
23 miles from the island when it
crashed. Her father wouldn't have let
Haris take off if the weather was bad,
she said.
It is unclear why the plane crashed or
why the duo took off at night.
"He was doing something that he loved.
He was doing something adventurous,"
she said of her brother, who received
his pilot's license in June. And he was
doing it to raise money for charity, she
added.
The principal of the high school where
Haris was a rising senior said the
school was deeply saddened by his
death.
"Haris' adventurous spirit and huge
heart led him to reaching for this
personal goal while also seeking to
raise funds and awareness for schools
supported by The Citizens Foundation, a
nonprofit organization headquartered
in Karachi, Pakistan," said Melvin
Siefert, principal of Plainfield High
School.
A soccer coach at the school told the
Indianapolis Star that Haris was a
great student and a talented player.
"Haris loved to joke a lot," David Knueve
told the newspaper. "He just got the
team sort of laughing at the right
moments."
His sister said Haris planned to be an
engineer like his father.
The oldest sibling, a brother, was trying
to get from London to American Samoa
to pick up Haris' body but there were
only a few flights, Hiba Suleman said.
A Coast Guard spokeswoman, Petty
Officer Melissa McKenzie, said a plane
would aid in the search for Babar
Suleman.
He and Haris were wearing "gumby"
suits that could help them survive a
water landing, Hiba Suleman said. She
said they had taken a course in how to
survive a crash in the ocean.
They also had life rafts aboard.
The next legs of the trip were supposed
to cross the Pacific Ocean, with stops
in Kiritimati (also known as Christmas
Island) and Hawaii.
The plane has yet to be recovered, but
emergency beacons were sending out
signals.
The National Transportation Safety
Board said the plane was a Beechcraft
Bonanza A36.