In an aerial view, waves crash on Black’s Beach on January 09, 2025 in La Jolla, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
2:36 PM – Monday, June 9, 2025

Six people have died after a small plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, according to authorities. 

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the twin-engine Cessna 414 went down just three miles west of San Diego at 12:30 p.m., quickly after take off on Sunday. 

Everyone aboard the aircraft was pronounced dead, the FAA announced. 

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Parts of the small plane were found in the Point Loma area in water that is close to 200 feet deep. 

Flightaware, a flight tracking tool, revealed that the plane took off from the San Diego International Airport and was headed to Phoenix, Arizona.

“A debris field has been located, but I do not currently have the size of it,” Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves told NBC7 before 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

According to Live ATC audio, the pilot told air traffic controllers that he was struggling to ascend the plane in the moments after take off. 

The air traffic controller pleaded with the pilot to climb to 4,000 feet after he said the plane was only close to 1,000 feet in the air. The audio then revealed that the controller directed him to land at a nearby U.S. naval airport.

Just moments later, the pilot repeatedly issued the “Mayday” distress call before he lost contact with controllers. 

According to NBC7, a man who was out surfing claimed that he saw the plane go down at an angle, then go back into the clouds before nose diving again and crashing into the water. 

“The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. But after I saw this splash, about 6 seconds later, it was dead silent. I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed,” said the witness, Tyson Wislofsky.

Meanwhile, the names of the deceased on board haven’t been released by authorities. 

The plane was reportedly owned by nutritional supplement maker Optimal Health Systems, authorities said.

However, the company said that they sold the plane to a group of private individuals in 2023, though it knew some of the people on board of the aircraft. 

“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 company’s founder, Doug Grant, said in a statement.

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