Three Dead in Small Plane Crash Off California Coast

A twin-engine Beechcraft 95-B55 Baron crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Point Pinos off Monterey County, California, late Saturday night, resulting in three people found unresponsive and later confirmed dead. The aircraft took off from San Carlos Airport shortly after 10 p.m. and was last seen on radar less than 30 minutes later. Search and rescue operations led by the U.S. Coast Guard, with assistance from multiple local agencies including Cal Fire and Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, spanned about 13 hours, covering a 100 square mile area. The first person was found unresponsive around 3 a.m., and two more were recovered from inside the plane's fuselage between early morning hours. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have launched investigations into the cause of the crash. The incident recalls a previous fatal crash near the same area involving singer-songwriter John Denver in 1997.