PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A preliminary report shows what led up to a plane crash that left six people dead on a flight to Phoenix last month.
On June 8 around 12:30 p.m., a twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed roughly three miles off the coast of Point Loma, a San Diego neighborhood, on its way back to Phoenix. Jeremy Bingham and his three sons, Bailey, Gavin and Ayden, were killed. The pilot and his pregnant wife also died in the crash.
According to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot departed from San Diego and climbed up to 1,600 feet. The air traffic controller then told him to make a left, 180-degree turn. Investigators say the pilot gradually turned and climbed to 2,000 feet before making a steep descent to 200 feet.
The controller issued a low altitude alert to the pilot and told him to climb to 4,000 feet immediately. Officials say the controller asked him if he needed assistance, and the pilot replied he was “struggling” to maintain the airplane during the climb…