Federal officials release preliminary report on Cessna crash off Point Loma

(Above: Previous report on Cessna crash by Juliette Vara on June 9, 2025)

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report regarding the Cessna 414 aircraft that crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Loma last month.

The crash was reported at 12:30 p.m. on June 8. All six people on board the aircraft -- the pilot and five passengers -- were presumed dead by authorities.

The NTSB's report, released Tuesday, detailed the events leading up to the crash. It confirmed some information previously obtained and reported by FOX 5/KUSI, including that the Cessna departed from San Diego International Airport and was on its way to Phoenix, Arizona, when it crashed into the water.

In the report, the pilot's friend, who was the Cessna's regular pilot, stated that he had flown about 50 hours with the pilot who went down with the plane.

The friend had previously accompanied the pilot to act as a "safety pilot" as he "conducted four approaches in simulated instrument meteorological conditions." The friend also added that the pilot was used to "hand-flying the airplane," which had no autopilot feature or glass cockpit.

He said the pilot had "expressed some nervousness" about Southern California's airspace, but "appeared to be proficient" while going over the procedure for departing from San Diego.

The pilot and his five passengers had flown into San Diego from Phoenix the day before the incident.

Authorities said after leaving the runway, the pilot communicated with air traffic controllers that he was at 1,600 feet before being instructed to make a left, 180-degree turn.

According to the report, the plane did begin to make a gradual turn, but after climbing to about 2,000 feet, it made a "steep descent" to 200 feet. The air traffic controller then instructed the pilot to bring the plane back up to 4,000 feet.

The pilot later stated that he was "struggling" to maintain the aircraft's climb and heading. The controller told him the nearest airport, the Naval Air Station North Island, was a mile away and asked him if he could see it.

However, the pilot responded that he did not see the airport and "made a series of erratic maneuvers" before sending out several mayday calls, the report by NTSB described.

The audio recording of the communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers was archived on the live air traffic website, LiveATC.net.

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.