The family still hopes that 58-year old Babar Suleman will be found alive after he and his son, Haris Suleman, 17, crashed in their single engine plane in the Pacific Ocean on their attempt to fly around the world in 30 days.

"We know Babar is a fighter and he will be clinging to the hope that someone will come and rescue him," Azher Khan, a friend of the family, said at a news conference held outside the Suleman's home in suburban Indianapolis.

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17-year old Haris Suleman's body was recovered shortly after the crash Tuesday.

Divers are searching for Babar Suleman at the last known location of the plane.

"But the 300-foot water is too deep," American Samoa Homeland Security Department Director Iuniasolua Savusa, said. "At this point it is beyond what we are capable of, so at the moment we are doing what we can to deploy all methods we have on the island." 

That includes casting a net to the bottom of the ocean and dragging it to see if it captures any wreckage.

A man who saw the plane flown by Haris Suleman, who just recently got his pilot's license, saw the aircraft was flying low over the ocean, but it didn't show any immediate signs of distress before diving into the water.

"I saw no fire, no explosions or any emergency lightning on the plane," Bert Thompson of Matuu, American Samoa, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

"It just went down, dived directly into the ocean," said Thompson, who saw the plane from his village near the shore.

At first, Thompson thought the plane would gain altitude, but as it dived towards the ocean, he quickly ran home and called the police, he told AP.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it had found wreckage from the plane.

Haris and Babar Suleman were on a month-long adventure to set a record for the fastest trip around the world in a single-engine airplane, and with the youngest pilot in command to do a circumnavigation.

The father and son also used the trip to raise money for the citizens foundation that builds schools in Pakistan, where Babar was born.

Babar Suleman had long dreamed of flying around the world. Father and son left Indiana on June 19 and were expected to arrive back in the U.S. on Saturday.

This dream ended tragically in the Pacific Ocean only a few days before their goal would have been accomplished.

At the press conference earlier this week, Khan said the family was not giving up hope that Babar Suleman would be found alive.

"We believe in miracles. We believe in prayers. We believe in hope," he said.

TagsTeen pilot crash