On 1 February, a large smoke cloud was reported by a NASA pilot and a commercial airliner. A Coast Guard aircraft flew to the cloud and investigated it. Due to lack of light it stopped searching after two hours but returned the next morning. Nothing was spotted after nearly three hours. Later that day the company notified the Coast Guard that the tanker was overdue leading to the smoke being associated with the tanker. Two aircraft together with surface vessels were dispatched to search.