Six people have died after a Cessna 414 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, US, just six minutes after takeoff, local authorities have said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the twin-engine Cessna 414, registered as N414BA, crashed approximately five miles off the coast of San Diego, California on June 8, 2025, at approximately 12:30 local time.
The Joint Harbor Operations Center in San Diego was first notified of the crash at 12:45 local time.
Flight tracking platform FlightAware shows that the aircraft took off from runway 27 at San Diego International Airport (SAN) at 12:25 local time and was heading to Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
The US Coast Guard is searching for a Cessna 414 that crashed into the ocean shortly after take off from San Diego. https://t.co/wiwVjeZlo3 pic.twitter.com/Ak5d6st2Aa
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 8, 2025
After receiving instructions to turn to a heading of 180 after departure, the pilot reported difficulty in maintaining heading and altitude, according to information from Aviation Safety Network (ASN).
The aircraft entered a descending left turn, dropping 1,900 feet in 13 seconds. Although the aircraft began to climb again, ADS-B data showed an inconsistent altitude and heading until the moment the aircraft hit the water’s surface, six minutes after beginning the takeoff roll.
LiveATC.net, a website that offers live broadcasts of air traffic control (ATC) from towers and radar facilities worldwide, recorded the last moments before the crash, capturing the pilot’s desperate call of “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”.
The US Coast Guard, along with federal, state, and local agencies, said in a statement that it has been searching for aircraft debris for two days.
On June 9, 2025, searchers discovered a debris field about five miles off the coast of Point Loma. The US Coast Guard reported that the water depth at the debris site was around 200 feet.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash.
