What happened
On a flight traveling from San Diego-Lindbergh Field International Airport to Phoenix-Sky Harbor Airport, a twin engine airplane departed from Runway 27 at 12:25 local time. The aircraft was operated with one pilot and five passengers on board.
During the initial climb phase, the pilot received instructions to adjust the heading to 180. Following this instruction, the pilot communicated that the aircraft was experiencing issues with controllability. Shortly after this report, flight data indicated that the plane was experiencing unstable altitude, airspeed, and heading. The aircraft subsequently impacted the Pacific Ocean near Point Loma. Search efforts recovered minimal debris from the water surface. All six fatalities were confirmed among the occupants.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced controllability problems during the climb phase.
- The flight path became erratic in terms of altitude and speed prior to the impact.