Plane Crashes Into Water Near Pillar Point Harbor; 2 Rescued
HALF MOON BAY (CBS SF) - A pilot and his passenger miraculously lived unscathed after their small, single engine plane crashed into the ocean off Half Moon Bay Tuesday Evening.
The Coast Guard is crediting another pilot, who was flying with the victims, for helping guide rescuers to them quickly and saving their lives.
The Coast Guard said in a press release that they happened to be in the area when the Beechcraft Bonanza crashed.
The pilot was flying with his friend, who was in another small aircraft, when the plane went down. The friend remained in the area to guide rescuers to the wreckage that had already sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
"Not much left of the plane is there," a rescuer said as he returned to shore. He was seen with a pair of shoes and flip flops, as well as a small, unrecognizable piece of the plane.
In a video posted by the victims' friend and witness, you can see the Coast Guard hovering over the victims, as he says, "All right guys, David crashed into the ocean, we were flying along he had an engine failure."
The plane, which is register to Lesh Air LLC in Denver, Colorado, crashed about five miles from Pillar Point Harbor around 6 p.m.
The aircraft, which was manufactured in 1979, was FAA certified just last month.
The Coast Guard said the victims refused medical treatment, but were checked out by fire crews at San Francisco International Airport.
Their identities have not been released.
The cause of the plane crash will now be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA.