Plane en route to Hawaii crashes in Pacific Ocean, two passengers dead

Two people were killed when a small plane headed for Hawaii crashed in the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff from Northern California, federal officials said Sunday.

The Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter crashed around 2:15 p.m. Saturday in the water about 40 miles (64 km) off the coast of Half Moon Bay, California, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement.

The U.S. Coast Guard found the submerged plane “and confirmed the pilot and copilot suffered fatal injuries,” the statement said. They were the only people on board, officials said.

The turboprop aircraft was en route from Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County north of San Francisco, to Honolulu, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The DHC-6-400 Twin Otter is a utility aircraft that seats 19 passengers, according to the Viking Air website.

Crews are working to recover the plane. The NTSB and the FAA Administration will investigate.

Half Moon Bay is a coastal community about 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco.