Pilot and Wife Among 6 Dead After Plane Crashes Off San Diego Coast

Six people died after a small plane crashed off the California coast, including a pilot and his wife.

On Sunday, June 8, a Cessna 414 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The plane took off from San Diego International Airport and was headed to Phoenix, Ariz., according to Flightaware.

The initial FAA report says that the plane crashed “under unknown circumstances” and that there were six fatalities. When reached for more information, the FAA directed PEOPLE to local authorities, who have not yet responded to a request for comment.

In a press release shared that day, the United States Coast Guard confirmed they joined other agencies to search for six people after a plane crashed three miles west of Point Loma. The water below the debris field was approximately 200 feet. 

Following the crash, the pilot was identified by a family member as Landon Baldwin, from Pima, Ariz., according to Fox affiliate KSAZ and NBC affiliate KNSD. Relative Kirsten Baldwin also confirmed that Landon’s wife Torrie was on board.

Both in their 20s, the couple leaves behind two young children, according to KSAZ. A father and his three adult sons, also from Arizona, were also reportedly on the plane.

“I was deeply shocked,” Kristen told KSAZ. “I didn’t want to believe it at first because it just didn’t seem like it could happen to this couple who is so awesome that I knew.”

As for what happened, the relative said that Landon “wouldn’t prank to get close to the water, or do something adrenaline-seeking” and that she believed “something was incredibly wrong for that to have happened.” 

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In his final moments, Landon told air traffic controllers that the plane was having a hard time climbing, according to audio reviewed by KNSD.

The pilot told the controller he was only about 1,000 feet in the air, which prompted him to urge Landon to ascend to 4,000 feet. Landon was also unable to see the U.S. naval airport on Coronado Island, where the controller advised him to land. Not long after, Landon repeatedly sent out a Mayday call before losing contact, KNSD reported. 

A witness previously told KNSD that he initially thought the plane was originally doing stunts in the air. “I saw him come down at an angle. He wasn’t flying straight to the ground,” said Tyson Wislofsky.

“The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. But after I saw this splash, about six seconds later, it was dead silent,” he continued. “I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed.”

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are continuing to investigate the incident.