6 people missing after small plane crash in US state of California

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - The US Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue operations for six missing people after a small plane crashed near San Diego in the US state of California.

The twin-engine Cessna 414 aircraft took off from San Diego International Airport on Sunday and was headed to Phoenix, Arizona before the plane crashed off the coast of Point Loma, according to media reports.

"A debris field has been located," Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves told television station NBC7. The water depth beneath that debris field, where an oil slick was visible, is estimated to be 200 feet (60.96 meters), according to officials.

Authorities do not know if the plane attempted to land on the water or if the aircraft directly crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation.

This is the second crash of a small aircraft in San Diego in the past month. A private business jet crashed in Murphy Canyon on May 22, killing six people.