Four days after a small plane crashed into the ocean off Oceanside, killing two men on board, authorities and representatives of the families still had not released the names of those involved in the crash.

The families had planned a news conference for today, but a spokeswoman for the families said they realized they were still having a hard time dealing with their loss and were not ready to talk about it publicly.

At 9 p.m. Monday, the Coast Guard suspended its search for the two men, one of whom was the pilot. A third man was rescued by a Vista couple aboard their fishing boat Sunday. He was taken to a hospital in La Jolla.

The three aboard the four-seat 2006 Cessna 172 were Mexican citizens, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman and a family friend confirmed.

An attorney for the families declined to release the names of the men yesterday. Phil Thalheimer, co-owner of San Diego Flight Training International Inc., to which the plane was registered, said he didn't have permission from the families to release the names.

A news release announcing the news conference said the three "young pilots" were studying at the school.

Authorities have declined to release the names this week for various reasons.

The Medical Examiner's Office said it wouldn't handle the case unless bodies were found.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board said they don't release the names of people involved in crashes. NTSB refers inquiries to local authorities. Oceanside Harbor Police said they couldn't release the names and referred inquiries to the Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard spokeswoman said the agency's policy doesn't allow for names in closed cases to be released. The Coast Guard was considering a request yesterday for the names under the Freedom of Information Act.

The plane was one of two that flew from Montgomery Field in Kearny Mesa to Long Beach Airport Sunday afternoon. It was returning when the crash occurred. A witness in the second plane, which landed safely, reported the crash at 5:11 p.m.

The FAA has said a preliminary investigation has shown that the pilot may have been unable to get out of a spin that he had intentionally entered.