MARSH HARBOUR, The Bahamas — Louisville pilot Chris Moore was found dead inside his small plane Thursday in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas.
Moore's aircraft went missing earlier in the week after taking off from an airport in Florida. He was 59.
His wife Stacye Love confirmed the news to WHAS11.
“Sadly I can confirm that he died on impact and we are deeply grateful for having found him and that he did not suffer," Love said. "He was found 2.5 miles short of the runway, upright in the marsh.”
Love said her husband and his plane were found by private searchers. Coast Guard officials told WHAS11 Wednesday morning the search had been suspended.
Moore lived near Glenview on River Road. He took off Sunday morning from Sebastian Municipal Airport on the east coast of Florida for a three-hour flight to Marsh Harbor.
He was flying his small Bristell Aircraft when it was reported missing around noon on Sunday. Moore was a pilot for nine years and was a retired engineer.
According to the Coast Guard, they received a report of the missing aircraft early Sunday morning. Aircrews were deployed from the Coast Guard Air Station Miami and Air Station Clearwater which conducted a search of approximately 1,760 square miles with "negative results."
On Sunday evening, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) took control of the investigation. An Air Station Miami aircrew conducted a first light search on Monday, again with negative results. The RBDF did not request further assistance from the Coast Guard.
At about 11 p.m. Monday, the RBDF informed Coast Guard District 7 watchstanders they had suspended the search.
Chris' wife Stacye was in the Bahamas leading the search for her husband. She said she knew something was wrong when he didn't text her that he landed.
"When I did not receive a silly cute text, I became concerned," she told WHAS11 earlier this week.