Two people were killed when the plane they were flying in crashed offshore Wednesday evening near the Venice Fishing Pier, according to Venice Fire Rescue. Venice police and fire personnel responded at around 9:30 p.m. They say the crash happened about a half-mile from the pier in the Gulf of Mexico. The bodies of two men in their 50s to 60s were recovered, Venice Fire Rescue said. At this time, investigators are working to learn more to determine if the small plane was taking off from or flying into Venice Municipal Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration in a statement said only two people were on board. In a Thursday morning update, a spokesperson for the city of Venice said emergency crews are continuing to search the debris field west of the Venice Fishing Pier. Dive teams from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office are also searching the water. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) now will lead the investigation. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/plane-crash-2-killed-venice-fishing-pier/67-9feb4d81-9e54-48e5-aaeb-ccabc26550c3