On a Saturday night, a small twin-engine plane carrying three people fell into the Pacific just off Point Pinos, where the Monterey Peninsula reaches into the sea. The flight had lifted off from San Carlos Airport on the far side of the peninsula's bay, and by the time the sea gave back its last passenger, a community had lost three of its own. The cause remains unknown and rests now with federal investigators, who must reconstruct in patient detail what the night itself kept hidden.
Coast Guard Recovers Three Bodies After Small Plane Crashes Off Monterey Coast
Three people died when the plane crashed; victims identified as Steven Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, James Vincent, 36, and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44.
Three people were aboard. The plane had taken off from San Carlos.
Mark
Where exactly did this happen?
Mimi
Between 200 and 300 yards off Point Pinos in Monterey, at about 10:55 Saturday night. The plane was a twin-engine Beechcraft that had left San Carlos Airport.
Mark
How long did it take to find everyone?
Mimi
The first body came out around 3 a.m. A Cal Fire drone found the fuselage shortly before 6, and the other two were recovered at 6:31 and 9:08 a.m.
Luke
Worth noting the wreckage was found by a drone, not a boat or helicopter. That's reported, but we don't know how the drone was tasked.
Mark
How big was the search?
Mimi
The Coast Guard says 13 hours combined, 346 miles of trackline, and about 100 square miles.
Luke
Those are the Coast Guard's own figures. Nobody has independently verified them.
Mark
Who were the victims?
Mimi
Steven Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, of Salinas; James Vincent, 36, and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, both of Monterey. Their families asked for privacy.
Luke
And the cause is unknown. We don't know who was flying, why they were flying, or what the conditions were. The NTSB has only said it is investigating.
Der Puls
- A twin-engine Beechcraft dropped into the dark water roughly 200 to 300 yards off Point Pinos at about 10:55 p.m. Saturday.
- Coast Guard boats, helicopters, and local law enforcement raced across a search zone of about 100 square miles through the night.
- A Cal Fire drone found the fuselage shortly before dawn, and the last two occupants were brought out by midmorning Sunday.
- The search was called off Sunday after roughly 13 hours, and the NTSB has taken over the question of why the plane went down.
On a Saturday night, a small twin-engine plane carrying three people fell into the Pacific just off Point Pinos, where the Monterey Peninsula reaches into the sea. The flight had lifted off from San Carlos Airport on the far side of the peninsula's bay, and by the time the sea gave back its last passenger, a community had lost three of its own. The cause remains unknown and rests now with federal investigators, who must reconstruct in patient detail what the night itself kept hidden.
Shortly before 11 on Saturday night, a twin-engine Beechcraft went into the Pacific a few hundred yards off Point Pinos, at the tip of the Monterey Peninsula. Three people were aboard. The plane had departed San Carlos Airport, on the bay side to the north, bound for an unknown purpose.
Through the night, Coast Guard crews, Cal Fire, and local law enforcement searched the water and air. The first body was recovered around 3 a.m. Sunday. Shortly before 6 a.m., a Cal Fire drone spotted the fuselage, and the last two occupants were recovered later that morning.
After about 13 hours and a search covering roughly 100 square miles, the Coast Guard called off the operation. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office identified the dead as Steven Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, of Salinas; James Vincent, 36, of Monterey; and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, also of Monterey.
Their families asked the community for privacy as they grieve, and thanked those who supported them. The cause of the crash is still unknown, and the NTSB is investigating.
At about 10:55 on Saturday night, a twin-engine Beechcraft went into the Pacific between 200 and 300 yards off Point Pinos, at the tip of the Monterey Peninsula. Three people were aboard. The plane had taken off from San Carlos Airport, on the San Francisco Bay side of the peninsula to the north.
A search-and-rescue effort began that night. Local and state law enforcement joined Coast Guard boats and helicopters on the water and in the air. The first body was recovered at about 3 a.m. Sunday, according to a Coast Guard statement.
The wreckage was found shortly before 6 a.m., when a Cal Fire drone located the plane's fuselage. Coast Guardsmen then recovered the two remaining occupants, at 6:31 a.m. and 9:08 a.m.
Later on Sunday the Coast Guard called off the search. By its count, the operation ran a combined 13 hours, covered 346 miles of trackline, and spanned a search area of roughly 100 square miles.
Late Sunday the Monterey County Sheriff's Office identified the dead as Steven Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, of Salinas; James Vincent, 36, of Monterey; and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, also of Monterey.
The sheriff's office also relayed a message from the families and friends of the three. They wished to thank the community for its outpouring of support, and they asked for privacy during a difficult time.
The cause of the crash has not been determined and is under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board said on X that it is looking into it. The source material does not say what the flight's purpose was, who was piloting, or what the conditions were. The NTSB's work is where those answers would come from.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The families and friends of the deceased thanked the community for its support and asked for privacy during this difficult time.— Monterey County Sheriff's Office (paraphrased)
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