3 days ago
San Diego plane crash victims: Dad, 3 sons killed after Cessna 414 went down in water off Point Loma coast
A doting father and his three sons were among those killed in the tragic San Diego plane crash. A twin-engine Cessna 414 went down in water off the coast of Point Loma on Sunday, claiming the lives of all six people onboard, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Plane debris from the tragic crash was found about 200 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean.
Although the FAA has yet to officially name the victims, they have been identified as pilot Landon Baldwin and his wife, Torrie (Beus) Baldwin, Jeremy Bingham and his sons, Ayden, Gavin, and Bailey, according to The Mirror US. All six victims were reportedly from Gila Valley, Arizona.
Kat Kountry 94.5, a local radio station, shared an emotional tribute for the Bingham family that reads, 'Jeremy Bingham and his 3 sons, Bailey, Gavin and Ayden were in a plane crash in San Diego, resulting in the most unimaginable, and losing all 4 of them.'
'Jeremy was a pillar to this community. He and Stephanie have done an amazing job raising incredible kids. They have always been the first in line to help where help is needed,' the tribute adds, per the outlet.
A separate heartbreaking tribute was shared on social media for the Baldwins. Mourners remember Landon as a 'devoted husband, father, and friend,' while Torrie as a person whose heart was 'full of love.'
'It's hard to put into words the heartbreak our community is feeling right now… Together, they were raising two beautiful young children. The loss is beyond comprehension. There [sic] children are now left without their parents.'
The small plane crashed nearly 3 miles west of the southern California city at 12:30 pm shortly after takeoff on Sunday. Before the deadly incident, the pilot informed air traffic controllers that he was struggling to climb.
A controller told him to climb to 4,000 feet after learning that the plane was flying at just 1,000 feet, according to Live ATC audio.
However, when the controller told the pilot to land at a nearby US naval airport, he repeatedly signalled the 'Mayday' distress call before losing radar contact.
