Pilot and His Wife Among 6 Dead After Plane Crashes Off San Diego Coast, Family Says
Six people died after a small plane crashed into the water off the coast of San Diego on Sunday, June 8
A family member has identified two of the victims as pilot Landon Baldwin and his wife Torrie
'I was deeply shocked,' Baldwin's relative saidSix people died after a small plane crashed off the California coast, including a pilot and his wife.
On Sunday, June 8, a Cessna 414 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The plane took off from San Diego International Airport and was headed to Phoenix, Ariz., according to Flightaware.
The initial FAA report says that the plane crashed 'under unknown circumstances" and that there were six fatalities. When reached for more information, the FAA directed PEOPLE to local authorities, who have not yet responded to a request for comment.
In a press release shared that day, the United States Coast Guard confirmed they joined other agencies to search for six people after a plane crashed three miles west of Point Loma. The water below the debris field was approximately 200 feet.
Following the crash, the pilot was identified by a family member as Landon Baldwin, from Pima, Ariz., according to Fox affiliate KSAZ and NBC affiliate KNSD. Relative Kirsten Baldwin also confirmed that Landon's wife Torrie was on board.
Both in their 20s, the couple leaves behind two young children, according to KSAZ. A father and his three adult sons, also from Arizona, were also reportedly on the plane.
'I was deeply shocked,' Kristen told KSAZ. 'I didn't want to believe it at first because it just didn't seem like it could happen to this couple who is so awesome that I knew.'
As for what happened, the relative said that Landon "wouldn't prank to get close to the water, or do something adrenaline-seeking" and that she believed "something was incredibly wrong for that to have happened.'
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
In his final moments, Landon told air traffic controllers that the plane was having a hard time climbing, according to audio reviewed by KNSD.
The pilot told the controller he was only about 1,000 feet in the air, which prompted him to urge Landon to ascend to 4,000 feet. Landon was also unable to see the U.S. naval airport on Coronado Island, where the controller advised him to land. Not long after, Landon repeatedly sent out a Mayday call before losing contact, KNSD reported.
A witness previously told KNSD that he initially thought the plane was originally doing stunts in the air. "I saw him come down at an angle. He wasn't flying straight to the ground," said Tyson Wislofsky.
"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,' he continued. 'I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed."
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are continuing to investigate the incident.
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cargo plane landing gear collapses on Honolulu airport runway
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after the landing gear of a cargo plane collapsed upon landing at the Honolulu airport this morning. According to the FAA, the landing gear of a Short SD3-60 turboprop aircraft, collapsed upon landing at about 9 a.m. at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The FAA said five people were on board. The Hawaii Department of Transportation said no injuries were reported after the Transair aircraft experienced a landing gear issue and landed on Runway 4R. 'Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting responded ; there are no reported injuries, ' DOTofficials said in a statement. While crews worked to remove the aircraft from the runway, flights were diverted to Runway 8L, officials said, adding that 'there are no disruptions to flight operations at this time.' At about 1 p.m., the Transair plane was removed from Runway 4R, according to the department. 'Following clean up and inspection of the runway, 4R was opened for service at 1 :47 p.m. There was no damage to the runway, ' officials said this afternoon. 4 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coast Guard Announces Decision on Search for 6 People Killed in Plane Crash
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for six people after a small plane crashed into the ocean just off the coast of San Diego, according to its news release. The Cessna 414 vanished into the Pacific on Sunday, June 8, about three miles west of Point Loma. Crews scoured more than 300 square miles over a 35-hour span but found no survivors. The search ended Tuesday morning, according to a Coast Guard news release. Among the victims were pilot Landon Baldwin and his wife Torrie, both in their 20s and parents to two young children. Also on board were a father and his three adult sons from Arizona, though their names have not been officially released. 'The decision to suspend a search is never an easy one,' said Lt. Cmdr. Justin Brooks, a Coast Guard rescue coordinator in a statement. 'Our hearts are with the loved ones of those involved in the crash.' The tragedy hit hard in the Baldwins' hometown of Pima, Arizona. 'I didn't want to believe it at first,' family member Kristen Baldwin told Fox 10 Phoenix. 'It just didn't seem like it could happen to this couple who is so awesome.' Eyewitness Tyson Wislofsky described seeing the plane descend in an unusual pattern. 'I saw him come down at an angle,' he told local reporters. 'The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. After I saw the splash, it was dead silent.' While some speculated the pilot may have been stunting, family members insist that couldn't have been the case. "Landon wouldn't have taken a risk like that," Kristen said. "Something must've gone terribly wrong." As families mourn, the cause of the crash remains under investigation. For now, a community grieves a sudden and heartbreaking loss just off California's scenic Guard Announces Decision on Search for 6 People Killed in Plane Crash first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Discovery of 300-Year-Old Coins May Prove $17 Billion ‘Richest Wreck in History' Has Been Found
Centuries-old coins have been found by researchers looking into the San José shipwreck, thought to be located in the Colombian Caribbean Sea The wreckage is reportedly worth approximately $17 billion The 150-foot-long Spanish galleon ship was sunk by British warships in 1708Researchers believe they have uncovered coins from a 317-year-old shipwreck, which sank in 1708, containing treasure thought to be valued at approximately $17 billion. On Tuesday, June 10, a study was published in the journal Antiquity, stating that "hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins — known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish — that served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries," were among the key finds amid the ongoing research into the sinking of the Spanish galleon ship, San José. British warships sank the vessel off the coast near the port city of Cartagena. As previously reported by PEOPLE in March 2024, Colombian authorities had decided to move forward with the recovery of the ship, which had a cargo full of treasure. The Times stated that the Colombian navy had identified a wreck that "appeared to be a good candidate" for the sunken ship in 2015, but noted that "its identity has not been conclusively proven." The 150-foot-long, 64-gun, three-masted ship sank with 600 men aboard while carrying 200 tons of silver and emeralds, 11 million gold coins, and porcelain pottery, Colombian Navy divers said in June 2022, according to ABC News. Only 11 individuals survived the incident. Per The Times, the sunken ship is "the richest wreck in history." The latest study, which included photos of some of the coins that had been found, stated that the wreck was situated "at a depth of 600m in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, a location that requires specialized underwater equipment for research." "The exact number of coins visible on the seabed is difficult to determine due to the dynamic nature of the site, but the cobs identified via high-resolution in situ photography conducted by a remotely operated vehicle have an average diameter of 32.5mm and probably weigh around 27g," according to the study. The results added that markings on the coins helped to identify their authenticity. An "L" indicated that they had been mined in Lima, Peru, while the presence of the number 8 represented the denomination in escudos, the highest value at the time. The coins were also marked with the letter "H', which was the mark of Francisco de Hurtado, the Chief Assayer in 1707. The study said that one coin displayed "a small pellet next to the '8', which is a mark of distinction of the cobs of this assayer." While on another, "three letters 'P. V. A.' can be seen marking the motto expression 'Plus Ultra', or 'Further Beyond' in Latin." "This motto was used on the coins as a reference to the expansion of the Spanish monarchy in the Atlantic. Finally, the year of minting is represented by three digits, 707, meaning 1707," the study tated. "The be clearly made out from the images, but on other coins from the same year and mint these bear a reference to King Philip V, the first Bourbon head of the Spanish monarchy," the study continued. "Most of the gold coins from this period come from shipwrecks." Daniela Vargas Ariza, lead researcher from Colombia's Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, said of the findings, 'This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon,' per The Times. The recent study said that over the past decade, "four non-invasive campaigns" had surveyed the wreckage, "providing valuable insights into the age and provenance of artefacts found on the seabed." The study's conclusion added, "This case study highlights the value of coins as key chronological markers in the identification of shipwrecks, particularly those from the Tierra Firme Fleet. The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early eighteenth century. The San José Galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics." Spain, the United States, Bolivian indigenous groups and Colombia have all claimed rights to the shipwreck in past years. But in 2011, a U.S. court determined that the ship was the property of the Colombian state, per ABC News. The Times noted that an American salvage company, Sea Search Armada, had also claimed a share, claiming that it had located the wreck. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In 2015, then-Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spoke at a news conference regarding the shipwreck's initial rediscovery, telling attendees, "This is the most valuable treasure that has been found in the history of humanity," ABC News reported. Since it was sunk by British warships some 317 years ago, the vessel has been remarkably untouched, officials previously said. The Colombian government didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Read the original article on People
