Authorities search for small plane off California coast
ASSOCIATED PRESS
People fish on a pier as a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter searches the coastline for a small plane that may have crashed in Santa Barbara, Calif., today. Officials with Santa Barbara County Fire, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol are searching the area near Goleta Beach with boats and helicopters.
Authorities were searching for a plane with one person on board that crashed off the Southern California coast today.
A single-engine Cessna 182 Skylane crashed near Santa Barbara around 7:55 a.m., according to Emma Duncan, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson.
Mike Eliason, a public information officer for Santa Barbara County Fire, said a witness reported seeing the plane descend rapidly after taking off from Santa Barbara Airport.
Officials with Santa Barbara County Fire, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol are searching the area near Goleta Beach with boats and helicopters.
No information was immediately released about the identity of the pilot.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will determine the probable cause of the accident.
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