THREE bodies have been recovered after a plane crashed into the sea off the coast of California.
The private plane plummeted into the water in Pacific Grove at around 10:40pm on Saturday night.
The twin-engine Beech 95-B55 Baron with three people aboard took off from the San Carlos airport at 10:11 p.m. and was last seen at 10:37 p.m. near Monterey, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.com.
It is believed to have ran into trouble shortly after take off with data from the Aviation Safety Network showing that it “crashed into the sea during a night-time approach to Monterey Airport.”
“On approach the aircraft entered a descending left-hand turn. During the turn the aircraft climbed again before entering a high-speed descent until it crashed into the sea about 22:38 hours,” per the aviation outlet.
Steve Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, James Vincent, 36, and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, have been identified as the victims by Monterey County cops.
Emergency crews responded late on Saturday evening after witnesses reported hearing an aircraft engine revving and a splash in the water, per KSBW TV.
People on shore reported seeing debris wash up from the crashed plane, including an oxygen tank and chunks of metal.
Coast Guard boat and helicopter crews were launched to search for the victims, with assistance from local law enforcement and fire agencies.
The first victim was tragically discovered recovered on Sunday morning, according to KION.
After a huge search mission, two other bodies were found in the afternoon, the Coast Guard told KSBW.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
Responders received a lost radar alert as well a flurry of 911 calls from horrified locals who reported concerning sounds from ocean near Asilomar.
On Facebook, one local said: “I’m dog sitting for my daughter in Pacific Grove. I’m laying in bed around 10PM and I hear a low flying airplane overhead.
“I’m wondering to myself ‘it sounds like it might hit her house’. Then I hear a sudden splat and it goes silent.”
Another told KION News that a loud noise woke him up and it “sounded like a plane doing stunts over my roof – I thought I was dreaming”.
Flight data appears to show that the aircraft did a loop above homes in Pacific Grove before back-tracking on itself to go back towards the sea – a possible last-minute maneuver by the pilot to save lives.
Emergency officials believe the aircraft plummeted into the sea between 200 meters and a quarter of a mile off the coastline.
It is not yet known what caused the crash but the National Transportation Safety Board will start to assess the debris for possible answers.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Pacific Grove Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for an update.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14831082/missing-people-plane-crash-monterey-california-pacific-grove/