6 presumed dead after plane headed for Phoenix crashes near San Diego
A small plane headed for Phoenix crashed into the Pacific Ocean on June 8 in the San Diego area, and search and rescue crews worked overnight to locate the six occupants who were presumed dead.
The crash was initially reported around 12:45 p.m., and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the twin-engine Cessna 414, tail number N414BA, about three miles west of Point Loma, an oceanside community in San Diego.
The Coast Guard said the debris field from the crash was believed to be about 200 feet deep. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the plane was "destroyed."
A preliminary investigation showed the plane was in the initial climb of its flight and that it crashed under unknown circumstances, according to the FAA.
The FlightAware website depicted the plane making two loops over the coastline just near Point Loma before it crashed.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
The FAA reported five passengers and one member of the flight crew were on board, all of them presumed dead as a result of the crash.
The plane departed from San Diego and was headed to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to FlightRadar24.
The plane's ownership was listed as Optimal Health Systems, based out of Pima, Arizona, in Graham County.
Doug Grant, founder of the business, said the company knew several passengers on board and offered condolences, but denied owning the plane.
"We personally knew several of the passengers onboard and our sincerest condolences are offered to those affected by the tragedy, all of whom are incredible members of our small community," Grant said in a written statement to The Arizona Republic.
He said despite the FAA listing his business as the owner of the plane, Optimal Health Systems sold the aircraft in June 2023 "to a group of private individuals."
He said the purchase and sales agreement included an escrow arrangement and a transfer of the plane's operations.
The day before the crash on June 7, the flight tracker recorded the Cessna traveling from Safford Regional Airport in Graham County to Phoenix and then to San Diego.
This is a developing story, check back to azcentral.com for more details.
Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: San Diego plane crash: 6 on flight to Phoenix presumed dead
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
17 hours ago
Coast Guard suspends search for plane that crashed off San Diego, killing 6
The Coast Guard suspended the search Tuesday for the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off from San Diego, killing all six people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will continue working to determine why the Cessna 414 crashed Sunday, but it doesn't expect to have any updates on the crash until it publishes its preliminary report about a month from now. With the wreckage still resting under a couple hundred feet of water, the NTSB's investigator isn't even immediately travelling to where the plane crashed about 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood that juts into the Pacific. Authorities have not identified the people who died in the crash. The plane was scheduled to return to Arizona on Sunday — one day after it flew out to San Diego. A natural supplements company called Optimal Health Systems based in Pima, Arizona, said it sold the plane in 2023 to a group of individuals who are part of their small community. Air traffic controllers quickly became concerned about the plane after it failed to climb over 1,000 feet or turn back east after taking off. The pilot reported having trouble climbing and maintaining his heading before repeatedly calling out 'Mayday' before the plane disappeared from radar. This crash came just weeks after a small Cessna crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in foggy weather and killed six people. Those two are just the latest in a string of deadly crashes, mishaps and near misses in aviation this year ever since an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January, killing 67 people.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
All 6 killed after plane crashes into ocean near San Diego
The Brief All six people aboard a twin-engine Cessna 414 died after the plane crashed into the ocean near San Diego. The pilot reported trouble maintaining altitude and twice turned toward shore before the crash, according to audio and radar data. The FAA and NTSB are investigating, and the victims have not yet been officially identified. Six people were killed after a plane crashed into the ocean 5 miles off the coast near San Diego, authorities said. What we know The twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed at around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, not long after it took off, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The plane was returning to Phoenix one day after flying out from Arizona, according to the flight tracking website Searchers found a debris field later Sunday about 5 miles off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood that juts into the Pacific, U.S. Coast Guard officials. The water in the search area is about 200 feet (61 meters) deep. The pilot told air traffic controllers that he was struggling to maintain his heading and climb as the plane twice turned towards shore before going back out to sea, according to audio posted by and radar data posted by FlightAware. The controller urged the pilot to climb to 4,000 feet after he reported the plane was only about 1,000 feet in the air. The controller directed the pilot to land at a nearby U.S. naval airport on Coronado Island, but the pilot said he was unable to see the airport. A short time later, the pilot repeatedly signaled the "Mayday" distress call before controllers lost radar contact. What we don't know Although the FAA said all six people on board the plane were killed, authorities haven't identified them. Dig deeper The FAA said the plane is owned by vitamin and nutritional supplement maker Optimal Health Systems. But the company based in Pima, Arizona, said in a statement that it sold the plane to a group of private individuals in 2023, meaning the FAA database could be out of date. However, the company's founder, Doug Grant, said in the statement that, "We personally know several of the passengers onboard and our sincerest condolences are offered to those affected by the tragedy, all of whom are incredible members of our small community." The crash comes weeks after a small Cessna crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in foggy weather and killed six people. What's next The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA confirmed they are investigating the crash. Local perspective A man who was out surfing when the plane crashed told NBC 7 in San Diego that he saw the plane come down at an angle, then climb back into the clouds before diving again and crashing into the water. "The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. But 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," Tyson Wislofsky said. The Source The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from official statements by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Coast Guard suspends search for plane that crashed into the ocean off San Diego and killed 6
The Coast Guard suspended the search Tuesday for the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into the ocean shortly after taking off from San Diego, killing all six people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said it will continue working to determine why the Cessna 414 crashed Sunday, but it doesn't expect to have any updates on the crash until it publishes its preliminary report about a month from now. With the wreckage still resting under a couple hundred feet of water, the NTSB's investigator isn't even immediately travelling to where the plane crashed about 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood that juts into the Pacific. Authorities have not identified the people who died in the crash. The plane was scheduled to return to Arizona on Sunday — one day after it flew out to San Diego. A natural supplements company called Optimal Health Systems based in Pima, Arizona, said it sold the plane in 2023 to a group of individuals who are part of their small community. Air traffic controllers quickly became concerned about the plane after it failed to climb over 1,000 feet or turn back east after taking off. The pilot reported having trouble climbing and maintaining his heading before repeatedly calling out 'Mayday' before the plane disappeared from radar. This crash came just weeks after a small Cessna crashed into a San Diego neighborhood in foggy weather and killed six people. Those two are just the latest in a string of deadly crashes, mishaps and near misses in aviation this year ever since an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., in January, killing 67 people.
