HONOLULU —  The U.S. Coast Guard is suspending its search for a Coast Guard pilot missing since his helicopter crashed during exercises near Hawaii last week.

Rear Adm. Manson K. Brown said Sunday he had a "heavy heart" as he announced the search was over for Cmdr. Thomas Nelson of Staten Island, N.Y.

The Coast Guard and Honolulu Fire Department searched more than 3,000 square miles off Oahu for the 42-year-old pilot.

His HH-65 Dolphin helicopter went down Thursday during a search and rescue drill. The three other crew members were pulled from the water shortly afterwards but declared dead at a hospital.

The chopper's fuselage and data and voice recorder were recovered and are being examined to try and determine a cause of the crash.

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