2 planes collide midair, plunge into ocean off Los Angeles

Authorities said early Saturday that the elderly man was on board a Beechcraft plane around 3:30 p.m. when it collided in midair with a plane piloted by a 72-year-old woman.

The Coast Guard said that it had recovered two tail identification numbers for two separate planes, and that two men and a woman with ages from 61 to 81 were believed to have been aboard.

A boater saw one of the planes crash into the water and reported it to authorities, officials said.

The Coast Guard had two 87-foot patrol boats, Cutters Narwahl and Blackfin, conducting a search throughout the night. Jennifer Williams said wreckage and a pilot’s logbook have been found from that plane.

The collision occurred about 3:30 p.m. Friday on a dazzlingly sunny day, with no immediate word on what might have caused it.

Fire and lifeguard boats and rescue divers swarmed the area.

“We are actively searching the area for any possible survivors”, Anderson said.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter searches the area after an apparent midair collision left two planes in the water of L.A. harbor on February 5, 2016.

There were reports of debris about two miles outside the harbor breakwater. The area is popular for flight students and there were many planes in the crystal clear skies at the time of the accident.

The Coast Guard, which ordered the Angels Gate entrance to Los Angeles Harbor closed to all vessels, was “coordinating a surface level search effort” and a safety zone was established around the search area, an official said.