21 hours ago
Six dead after plane plunges into sea after San Diego takeoff
The twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed soon after taking off in San Diego, with six people confirmed dead, the Federal Aviation Administration said, with wreckage found five miles out to sea.
A small private plane has crashed into the Pacific Ocean just minutes after takeoff from San Diego, confirmed the Federation Aviation Administration on Cessna 414 went down around 12.30pm on Sunday, with its last known flight being a return trip to Pheonix, records show, reports the Mirror.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported discovering the wreckage about five miles off the coast from the Point Loma area of San Diego, in waters estimated to be around 200 feet deep.
Despite confirmation of the deaths, the identities of those on board have not yet been released.
Linked to vitamin giant Optimal Health System via FAA records, the plane was reportedly sold earlier in 2023 according to the company located in Pima, Arizona, potentially indicating outdated registry information.
Optimal Health's founder Doug Grant expressed his devastation in an official statement, saying "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 cause of the crash is now under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which has not yet shared any findings.
Audio from captured the pilot's final, desperate moments. He reported having trouble keeping the plane steady - struggling with both altitude and direction. At one point, an air traffic controller urged him to climb to 4,000 feet as the plane dropped to a dangerously low 1,000 feet.
The pilot tried to make an emergency landing at the naval airport on Coronado Island but couldn't locate the runway. A series of frantic 'Mayday' calls followed before the plane vanished from radar.
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Surfer Tyson Wislofsky witnessed the harrowing scene unfold from the waves, telling NBC 7 in San Diego he saw the aircraft plunge into the ocean after a brief climb.
"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," he recounted.
This tragic incident follows closely on the heels of another aviation disaster where a small Cessna met its end in a San Diego neighbourhood amidst foggy conditions, claiming six lives.
