A routine flight from San Diego to Phoenix ended in tragedy when a Cessna 414 crashed into the ocean near Sunset Cliffs, California. The twin-engine plane, carrying six people, vanished from radar just minutes after takeoff. Radio transmissions revealed the pilot was struggling to maintain altitude and issued a final “Mayday” call before the aircraft disappeared. All six passengers and crew are presumed dead.
Despite urgent instructions from air traffic control to divert and climb, the pilot was unable to regain control of the plane. The aircraft went down about five miles offshore, where search teams quickly found debris and an oil slick on the water’s surface. Rescue divers were forced to suspend operations due to the ocean’s depth, believed to be over 200 feet. Sadly, no survivors were recovered from the crash site.