6 Missing After Plane Plummets into Water Off San Diego Coast

“I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed,” a witness said

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over boats searching the area where a boat capsized just off the San Diego coast Sunday, May 2, 2021, in San Diego.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter (stock image).Credit : AP Photo/Denis Poroy

NEED TO KNOW

  • Six people are missing after a small plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, Calif. on Sunday, June 8, officials said
  • The plane was traveling from San Diego to Phoenix
  • The FAA and NTSB are continuing to investigate

Six people are missing after the plane they were on crashed off the California coast, officials said.

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, Arizona, according to Flightaware.

The initial FAA report says that the plane crashed “under unknown circumstances,” destroying the plane. There was one member of the flight crew onboard as well as five passengers.

Later that night, the United States Coast Guard said in a statement that it was searching for the downed plane with the help of a helicopter, military aircraft and boats from multiple agencies.

Additional details have not immediately been made public.

Related Stories

Missing Pilot’s Plane Found Weeks After Mysteriously Disappearing During ‘Routine’ Flight
Michael Martin
Debris Matching Missing Plane with 10 Onboard Is Found in Alaska with 3 Bodies, Coast Guard Says
Alaska Plane Crash Debris

A witness told NBC affiliate 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.”

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.

The U.S. Coast Guard and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are continuing to investigate the incident.

You Might Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *