© FacebookEdmond Haronian pictured with the missing plane before the departure from Catalina
Woodland Hills, California insurance broker Edmond Haronian, 50, and flight instructor Jason Glazier, 50, went missing on May 28 after their plane took off on a return flight from Catalina Island. Authorities confirmed to CBS Los Angeles that the men did not file a flight plan.
The aircraft departed Catalina Island Airport on Saturday afternoon, but failed to make it back to Van Nuys Airport, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told the Los Angeles Times.
Haronian's family is offering $150,000 for information that leads to his body and $250,000 if Haronian is found alive.
"We would like to have closure," Haronian's brother, Edwin Haronian, told ABC 7. "And we would like to accept it if we find some clue that it actually crashed."
The family said they had nearly given up hope until they found photos Haronian posted on Facebook showing that he had reached Catalina.
Searches by the Coast Guard, Sheriff's department and others have found no sign of the men or the plane and no distress call was received.
Haronian's family said the fact that no wreckage has been found gives them hope that he is still alive.
"We still haven't given up hope," Haronian's ex-wife, Rose Haronian, told CBS LA.
The family says they will keep searching until they have an answer.
"[We need] something that we can work off of because right now, it's unbelievable that a plane just goes missing in thin air," said Eddie Bardi, Haronian's son.
Was leaving Vegas on a small plane. Asked pilot, about the mountains (small) that we had to fly over? He said "you would not believe how many small planes go down and are never found over these small mountains'? Wow. May the families find the "loved ones", they are missing!