By Jon Johnson
SAN DIEGO – Six people who died in a small plane crash off the coast of San Diego on Sunday are all from the Gila Valley.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a search and rescue effort was launched at about 12:45 p.m. on Sunday after witnesses reported seeing a Cessna 414 airplane crash into the ocean roughly three miles west of Point Loma in San Diego.
The plane had departed San Diego International Airport and was on its initial climb before heading toward Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
The Coast Guard dispatched a Jayhawk helicopter and a Sea Otter, as well as several boats, which joined forces with other agencies in the search, including the San Diego Harbor Police and Lifeguards, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
According to air traffic control, the pilot, reportedly Landon Baldwin, of Pima, advised that he was having trouble maintaining his heading and was attempting to climb as the plane turned towards the shore. At the time, the plane was only about 1,000 feet in the air, and the air traffic controller urged the plane to climb to 4,000 feet in elevation and directed him to land at nearby North Island Airport. Baldwin responded by saying he couldn’t see the airport, likely due to a thick marine layer (fog) that covered the area and could have been a contributing factor in the crash. A short time later, Baldwin issued a Mayday distress call, and the plane crashed into the ocean.
Flight tracking data shows the Cessna lifting off from San Diego International Airport at 12:25 p.m. bound for Phoenix. According to open-source data from ADS-B Exchange, the plane reached a maximum altitude of only 2,100 feet before making two turns to the left. The day before the crash on June 7, the flight tracker recorded the Cessna traveling from Safford Regional Airport in Graham County to Phoenix and then to San Diego.
A surfer told NBC 7 in San Diego that he saw the plane come down at an angle, then climb back into the clouds before diving again and crashing into the water.
A debris field was located in roughly 200 feet of deep water. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
According to reports, among the deceased are the pilot, Landon Baldwin, and his wife, Torrie (Beus) Baldwin. Also reportedly on the plane were Jeremy Bingham, of Thatcher, and his adult sons, Ayden, Gavin, and Bailey Bingham.
The plane, registration number N414BA, was registered by Optimal Health Systems LLC, out of Pima, Arizona; however, the company has stated that it sold the plane to a group of private individuals in 2023.
