SAN DIEGO — The Associated Press is reporting a small plane currently listed as registered to a Pima business has crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
Gila Valley Central’s e-mails to the National Transportation Safety Board have not yet been returned.
The AP reports the twin-engine Cesna 414 was carrying six people at the time of the crash, about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 8. All six were reportedly killed. Identities of the victims have not yet been released.
FAA records show the plane registered to Optimal Health Systems in Pima; however, OHS owner Doug Grant told the AP he sold the plane in 2023.
In recorded audio from air traffic control at San Diego International Airport, the pilot says he was “heavy” and struggling to maintain altitude at about 1,000 feet. The air traffic controller tells the pilot to climb to 4,000 feet immediately and directs him to a runway at North Island Airport; however, the pilot says he can’t see the airport.
The pilot then says, “Mayday” four times before cutting out, and the air traffic controller says the plane was no longer seen on radar.
U.S. Coast Guard reports debris was found about 5 miles from Point Loma, a coastal suburb of San Diego.
