Search Suspended For Victims Of Plane Crash Off Coast Of Point Loma

SAN DIEGO, CA — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday for the bodies of six people who were aboard a plane that crashed over the weekend off the coast of San Diego.

A twin-engine Cessna 414 went down at about 12:45 p.m. Sunday roughly three miles west of Point Loma. The Coast Guard suspended its search at 10 a.m. Tuesday "pending further developments."

"The decision to suspend a search is never an easy one," said Lt. Cmdr Justin Brooks, a search and rescue mission coordinator with Coast Guard Sector San Diego. "We appreciate the work of our partners throughout the search efforts, and our hearts are with the loved ones of those involved in the crash."

The six occupants included the pilot, his wife, and a man with his three sons, according to a report from the Aviation Safety Network. Their identities were withheld pending family notification.

The plane, which was bound for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, crashed shortly after takeoff from San Diego International Airport, according to the Flight Safety Foundation.

Search crews found scattered wreckage of the plane floating in an area where the water is about 200 feet deep, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard and other agencies searched over 300 square miles for roughly 35 total hours. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the San Diego Harbor Police Department and San Diego lifeguards also participated in the search operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the crash.