Search teams have located the crash site of a light plane which crashed into the ocean off the Santa Barbara County coastline. The single engine plane went down just after takeoff from Santa Barbara Airport Sunday morning.
The Cessna 182 took off just after 7 a.m., going down about two miles off the coast. U.S. Coast Guard and Santa Barbara County helicopters launched an airborne search.
Santa Barbara County Fire Department watercraft, a Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol boat, and a Coast Guard cutter were among the vessels which joined in the search.
About 90 minutes into the search, an oil slick and some debris were found about two miles off the coast of Isla Vista. The search became a recovery effort.
The Coast Guard took over command of the effort. A specially equipped dive team which had helped with recovery efforts from the 2019 "Conception" boat fire in the Channel Islands has joined the operation.
