Six Dead as Cessna 414 Crashes Off San Diego Coast Shortly After Takeoff

Victor Nwoko
6 days ago
2 min read

A twin-engine Cessna 414 plunged into the Pacific Ocean five miles off San Diego’s Point Loma coast, killing all six people on board on 8 June

A twin-engine Cessna 414 carrying six people crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff from San Diego International Airport on June 8, 2025, killing all on board in a tragedy that has left investigators scrambling for answers.

The 1970-model aircraft (tail number N414BA) departed at approximately 12:30 p.m. bound for Phoenix, Arizona, with one pilot and five passengers aboard. Minutes into the flight, the pilot reported distress, struggling to maintain altitude despite air traffic control instructions to climb to 4,000 feet. Witnesses described harrowing final moments as the plane made erratic turns before plunging nose-first into the ocean five miles off Point Loma.

Eyewitness Tyson Wislofsky, a local surfer, saw the aircraft emerge from clouds in a steep descent. "It hit the water at high speed with a huge splash, then just... silence," he recounted. Radar data revealed the Cessna entered a rapid descending left turn, dropping 1,900 feet in just 13 seconds before briefly climbing again. Contact was lost less than 10 minutes after departure.

A multi-agency search involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Harbor Police, and Customs and Border Protection located only a debris field in the 200-foot-deep crash site, where strong currents hampered recovery efforts. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched parallel investigations into the crash, which occurred under what the FAA described as "unknown circumstances."

This marks San Diego's second fatal Cessna accident in weeks, following a May 22 crash that also claimed six lives. The aircraft was privately owned after being sold by Arizona-based Optimal Health Systems in 2023. Investigators will examine maintenance records, pilot communications, and weather data, with mechanical failure and human error among potential causes.

As the community mourns, the NTSB warns its full report may take months. The crash has renewed concerns about regional small aircraft safety, with officials vowing thorough scrutiny to prevent future tragedies.