Small Plane Crashes Off San Diego, 'Nose First'

Authorities are investigating after a small plane crashed into the ocean 5 miles off the coast near San Diego with six people aboard, reports the AP. US Coast Guard officials said a debris field was discovered near Point Loma on Sunday afternoon and they began searching for the wreckage in an area where the water is about 200 feet deep. The Federal Aviation Administration said the twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed around 12:30pm Sunday not long after it took off.

The plane was owned by Optimal Health Systems, an Arizona nutritional supplement company, and had taken off from San Diego International Airport, bound for Phoenix, KNSD reports. A witness told the outlet he initially thought the pilot was performing a stunt. "I saw him come down at an angle. He wasn't flying straight to the ground," said the surfer. "The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water ... nose first, at a high speed." The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA confirmed they are investigating.

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