Plane Slams Into Ocean; Pilot Missing

A small plane whose pilot was spotting schools of fish for a fishing boat crashed into the ocean off Orange County on Sunday, prompting a search by the Coast Guard and Navy for the flier, authorities said.

Searchers found a sneaker, a flight plan, an aerosol can and pieces of the aircraft, but no sign of the pilot several hours after the plane nose-dived into the ocean 10 miles southwest of Dana Point.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Elizabeth Neely said crews aboard a Coast Guard cutter and patrol boat and two Navy vessels searched for the pilot of the Cessna 172 until nightfall. His name was withheld until relatives could be notified.

“The water in that area is pretty deep,” she said. “It’s at least 200 to 400 fathoms,” about 800 feet to 1,600 feet.

The plane is believed to have taken off from Gillespie Field near El Cajon in San Diego County sometime Sunday morning, Neely said.

The pilot was working with the commercial fishing vessel Horizon, spotting schools of fish and reporting by radio their position to the boat, whose owner saw the plane crash into the ocean, Neely said.

“There was no fire and no smoke” coming from the falling plane, Neely said.

She said it was believed the pilot was alone in the aircraft.

A Federal Aviation Administration duty officer said the pilot did not report having difficulties, and there was no immediate information on what caused the crash.