Rescuers were called out Sunday after a passenger plane with six people aboard crashed into the water off Point Loma, San Diego, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Rescuers were called out Sunday after a passenger plane with six people aboard crashed into the water off Point Loma, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
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WATCH HEREThe aircraft, identified as a Cessna 414, was reported down shortly before 1 p.m., according to San Diego Fire Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Flightaware, a flight tracking tool, shows the path of the flight, and it appears the plane took off from San Diego International Airport and was headed to Phoenix, Arizona.
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"A debris field has been located, but I do not currently have the size of it," Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves told NBC 7 shortly before 3:30 p.m.
In its latest update, the USCG reported that the depth of water below the debris field is reported to be approximately 200 feet, and the search would continue through the night.
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NBC 7 spoke to a witness who said that while he was out surfing on Sunday afternoon, he heard a plane and thought they were 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. I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed.”
NBC 7 Investigates tracked down the tail number from the plane with a matching flight path. It belongs to a 1970 Cessna 414 with 7 seats, and a twin engine. It's owned by Optimal Health Systems, a nutritional supplement company based out of Pima, Arizona, which is about two and a half hours outside Phoenix.
NBC 7 reached out to the company and to its founder to try to confirm who was on board, but has yet to hear back.
San Diego lifeguards, the Coast Guard, and U.S. Border Patrol are aiding with rescue efforts, which officials said were taking place about 3 miles off the coast.
The @USCG is searching for a downed Cessna 414 with 6 POB, approx. 3 mi W of Pt. Loma. Currently searching are 1 Jayhawk helo from Air STA Ventura, 1 C-27 from Air STA Sacramento, CGC Sea Otter, 1 small boat each from STA SD & the MSST, as well as several partner agencies. pic.twitter.com/Oo6AlXlMQp
— USCG Southern California (@USCGSoCal) June 8, 2025
USCG officials added that the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.
