A small plane carrying six people crashed off the San Diego coast over the weekend, killing everyone onboard.

The twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed around 12:30 p.m. local time on Sunday a few miles west of Point Loma, one of the oldest seaside communities in San Diego.

The Joint Operations Center, a joint command center for state and federal maritime operations, received the initial report about 15 minutes after the crash.

Searchers from local and federal agencies located a debris field, a region where the remnants of the aircraft laid, as they looked for survivors by air and by sea. The water in the search area is about 200 feet deep, according to a press release from the U.S. Coast Guard.

The presumed fatalities, according to a preliminary report by the FAA, includes five passengers and the pilot. The small plane crashed into the water under "unknown circumstances."

The National Transportation Safety Board, the agency leading the investigation, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Monday evening. Additional details about the crash, including the identities of those onboard, was not immediately available.

Small plane en route to Phoenix before crash

According to flight tracking website Flightaware.com, the aircraft was returning to Phoenix a day after flying out from Arizona. The small plane, which departed from San Diego International Airport around 12:24 p.m. local time, crashed a few minutes after takeoff.

The aircraft is registered to Optimal Health Systems, a holistic health company based in Pima, Arizona, which told USA TODAY on Monday evening that while the small plane was registered to the company, it had been sold to a "group of private individuals" in June 2023.

"Though registration still shows the aircraft belonging to Optimal Health Systems, LCC, the agreement included escrow arrangements and full operation power," the company said in a statement.

Doug Grant, founder of Optimal Health Systems, said they were "deeply saddened" to learn of the accident.

"We personally knew several of the passengers onboard and our sincerest condolences are offered to those affected by the tragedy, all of whom are incredible members of our small community," Grant said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Six people dead after small plane crash off San Diego coast

Reporting by Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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