A devastating plane crash off the coast of San Diego has left a community in mourning after a twin-engine Cessna 414 plunged into the ocean Sunday afternoon, killing all six people on board.
The aircraft had just departed San Diego International Airport, bound for Phoenix, Arizona, when trouble struck. Only minutes into the flight, pilot Landon Baldwin reported engine issues, his voice crackling through cockpit audio as he attempted to reroute the aircraft toward North Island Navy Station.
Cleared to land, Baldwin’s calm turned to desperation in a haunting transmission: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”
Air traffic controllers urged him to gain altitude—up to 4,000 feet—as the plane struggled to maintain just 1,000 feet above the water. Moments later, all contact was lost.
A massive search and rescue effort led by the U.S. Coast Guard recovered wreckage roughly five miles offshore. There were no survivors.
Among the victims, it’s believed Baldwin’s wife, Tori Baldwin, was aboard, along with a father and his three adult sons from Arizona. Their names have not yet been formally released.
The aircraft, once owned by Optimal Health Services, had been sold to a private owner in 2023. Doug Grant, the company’s founder, called the victims “incredible members of our small community,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
Eyewitness Tyson Wislofsky recounted the horrifying scene: “The plane dipped, tried to climb, and then just nosedived. After the splash, everything went silent.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash as the community grieves this heartbreaking loss.
