![The search area is now narrowed to the gray box in the corner of the larger area. [Cleveland City Hall]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fa5d589/2147483647/strip/true/crop/916x520+0+0/resize/840x476!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F1%2F12%2FAREAS%20and%20Refined%20search.jpg)
Search and recovery teams have found more human remains from the Cessna aircraft lost after taking off from Burke Lakefront Airport in late December. Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson said at a press conference Thursday that DNA tests were underway on remains found in the debris field at the bottom of Lake Erie.
“We can confirm that the additional remains that were collected yesterday are of human origin. I don’t have further information on them other than attempts at identification are under way," said Gilson.
Gilson estimated that at least three of the six people on board the Dec. 29 th flight to Columbus are included in this group. That’s in addition to the remains of one male found last week.
Airport commissioner Khalid Bahhur said the primary focus of the search is finding human remains.
“Debris was secondary. If it’s a big piece, we’re recovering it. Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to recover all of the debris because some of it is so small. But our primary focus – human remains - and large parts of the aircraft," said Bahhur.
About 250 pieces have been found, including a wing, seats, engine, voice recorder and a mechanical data recorder. The federal government is investigating the plane’s disappearance.
