Search Underway for Six Missing After Cessna Crash Off San Diego Coast

June 9, 2025 | San Diego, CA — A search operation is ongoing after a Cessna 414 aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Sunday, leaving six people missing.

The U.S. Coast Guard received the initial report of the crash at approximately 12:45 p.m. PDT. Emergency response teams were quickly dispatched to an area about three miles west of Point Loma, a prominent coastal area near San Diego.

Joining the Coast Guard in the search effort are teams from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, San Diego Harbor Police, and the San Diego Lifeguard Service.

A debris field was discovered Sunday afternoon in waters estimated to be around 200 feet deep. However, as of 11:30 p.m., no survivors or victims had been located, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson speaking with the Los Angeles Times.

Authorities have not yet identified the six individuals believed to have been on board the aircraft.

Local surfer Tyson Wislofsky told KNBC-TV that he was in the water when he saw what appeared to be a small aircraft descending rapidly toward the ocean. “It was fast and silent — then just a splash,” he said.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). More updates are expected as the search continues.