Two planes collide in midair near Port of Los Angeles
Baku, February 7, AZERTAC
Two small planes collided over the ocean just outside Los Angeles Harbor and plunged into the water Friday, prompting a massive search by dozens of boats and divers. As darkness fell there was no sign of survivors, according to CBS News.
An L.A. County official told CBS Los Angeles a fishing boat crew reported seeing a small aircraft plunging into the ocean at about 3:14 p.m.
LAX's radar shows the blue and yellow aircraft slamming into each other at 3,100 feet and eventually vanishing from the radar screen.
Investigators had no immediate word on what might have caused the accident or the number of people aboard the two planes.
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.
Debris that included the full tail number for one plane and partial number of the other was found, Los Angeles County lifeguard Capt. Ken Haskett said.
A Coast Guard helicopter equipped with night vision and two vessels planned to search about 200 square miles of ocean for survivors through the night, with a more extensive search resuming at daybreak, Lt. Jonathan McCormick said.
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