Three Killed After Private Plane Crashes Off Monterey Bay In California

News18

5 days ago

The crash site was approximately 300 yards (about 275 metres) off the coast of Point Pinos in Monterey County.
Three individuals on board a small private aircraft were found dead after the plane crashed into the waters off Monterey Bay, California, as reported by Associated Press. According to the US Coast Guard, the victims were located unresponsive on the morning of Sunday, July 27. Emergency crews had responded to the scene the night before, shortly after the crash occurred.
The aircraft involved was identified as a Beech 95-B55 Baron, a twin-engine light plane. It departed from San Carlos Airport at 10:11 pm local time. However, the flight was abruptly cut short, with its final recorded location logged near Monterey at 10:37 pm, according to flight tracking platform Flightradar24. The plane bore the tail number N8796R.
The crash site was approximately 300 yards (about 275 metres) off the coast of Point Pinos in Monterey County. Witnesses reported hearing the sound of the aircraft's engine revving, followed by a loud splash in the water. Debris from the aircraft was later spotted floating near the shoreline, as reported by KSBW-TV.
Following the initial reports, the US Coast Guard, in coordination with local fire departments and law enforcement agencies, launched an immediate search and rescue operation using both boats and helicopters. At around 3:00 am, the first individual was discovered on the water by a Coast Guard boat crew. Later, divers located the other two missing passengers inside the submerged wreckage between 6:30 am and 9:30 am.
'At the time of recovery, all three individuals were unresponsive," said Petty Officer Ryan Graves in a statement to the Associated Press. 'In this case, unresponsive means no signs of life. However, it is the coroner's office and Sheriff's office that officially determine death."
The three victims were later identified as Steve Clatterbuck, 60, James Vincent, 36, and Jamie Tabscott, 44. James and Jamie were local residents of Monterey.
The exact cause of the crash, as well as the sequence of events leading up to the incident, remains under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the inquiry into the accident.
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Location :
California, USA
First Published: