The Cessna 414 aircraft had departed San Diego and was en route to Phoenix, Arizona.
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A small plane crashed into the ocean off the coast of San Diego on Sunday, killing all six people aboard.
The twin-engine Cessna 414 aircraft went down just minutes after its takeoff at around 12:30 p.m. The tragedy occurred approximately five kilometres west of the Point Loma neighbourhood.
The plane had just departed San Diego and was going to Phoenix, Arizona.
It had reportedly flown into California the day prior. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated the aircraft was previously owned by Optimal Health Systems, but the company said that it was sold to private individuals in 2023.
The pilot reported trouble just before the impact
Moments before the crash, the pilot contacted air traffic control, reporting difficulty maintaining heading and altitude.
He was urged to ascend to 4,000 feet and land at a nearby naval airport, but he replied that he couldn’t locate the runway. The final transmission included multiple “Mayday” calls before all contact was lost. In aviation, “Mayday” is an internationally recognised distress signal used by pilots to indicate life-threatening situations.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft turning toward the shore twice before heading back out to sea. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash.
Search and recovery efforts ongoing
Coast Guard teams located the debris field roughly eight kilometres offshore in waters about 200 feet deep.
The search involved helicopters, boats, and aircraft, continuing into Sunday evening.
Doug Grant, founder of Optimal Health Systems, expressed condolences, saying he personally knew several of the victims and they were “incredible members of our small community.”
Witness describe the final moments
A surfer, Tyson Wislofsky, told NBC Los Angeles that he saw the plane descending at an angle before it vanished into the water.
“After I saw this splash, about six seconds later, it was dead silent. I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed.,” he said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation. This incident marks the second fatal small aircraft crash near San Diego in less than a month.
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