Human remains found in search for plane wreckage

Rescue boats search for wreckage from two small planes that collided in midair and plunged into the ocean off of Los Angeles harbor Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, in San Pedro, Calif. There was no immediate word of any survivors, authorities said.

Fire and lifeguard boats and rescue divers swarmed the area about two miles outside the entrance to the harbor, where water depths were 80 feet to 90 feet.

The names of the victims were not known.

The remains were found about 2 p.m. about two miles outside the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and will be identified by the coroner’s office, according to sheriff’s Deputy Juanita Navarro.

Human remains were recovered today as authorities searched the water off San Pedro after a suspected mid-air collision of two small planes left three people missing. The men have not been identified.

A small debris field was located near the Point Fermin Lighthouse in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, officials said.

Based on brief conversations with family members, Williams believes the pilots were experienced.

The first plane was a Beech 35 Bonanza and the second was a Citabria, said Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Firefighters responded to a report of a plane down in the water off San Pedro on February 5, 2016.

The identities of the two men in the other small plane were not revealed.

USCG Petty Officer Andrea Anderson briefed reporters that a piece of an aircraft was found with the tail number intact, according to the Times.

“We can’t confirm a midair collision until we actually recover parts from two planes, but we believe that to be the case. It’s likely”, Sierra said.

Authorities say two men, ages 61 and 81, were aboard a plane that radar showed colliding Friday afternoon with an aircraft piloted by a 72-year-old woman.

The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the crash, according to Kenitzer.

The search for wreckage and possible survivors over a 200-square-mile area is expected to continue through the night with helicopters and boats, with a more extensive search resuming Saturday.