Overview

• According to the NTSB, the Cessna abruptly descended hundreds of feet and climbed back nearly as far before plunging into the ocean about two miles west of Point Loma at roughly 12:30 p.m. on June 8, with ground video showing it ascend to about 1,800 feet before disappearing into clouds.
• Pilot Landon Baldwin radioed mayday calls after reporting trouble maintaining heading and altitude to air traffic controllers.
• A joint search by the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, San Diego Harbor Police and city lifeguards scoured about 300 square miles over 35 hours before suspending operations without recovering most wreckage or bodies.
• NTSB’s preliminary report offers no probable cause, and investigators continue to examine flight data, communications and environmental factors ahead of a final report expected in up to two years.
• All six aboard—including Baldwin’s pregnant wife and the Bingham family—were killed and their bodies have not been recovered.