2 killed aboard Santa Rosa plane bound for Hawaii in crash off Half Moon Bay coast

Two people aboard a small, Hawaii-bound plane that took off from Santa Rosa on Saturday and crashed in the Pacific Ocean off Half Moon Bay were killed, federal authorities confirmed Sunday.

The Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter crashed into the ocean 2:15 p.m. about 40 miles off the San Mateo Coast, a National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson said Sunday.

A U.S. Coast Guard crew found the plane submerged and confirmed the deaths of the pilot and copilot, the NTSB spokesperson said. Their names were not immediately available Sunday.

There were no other passengers on board. Investigators were working to recover the plane, according to the NTSB.

In a statement Saturday night, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said the twin-turboprop was flying out of Santa Rosa to Honolulu and had gone down in the water off Half Moon Bay around 2:15 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

Preliminary flight data lists the plane leaving Santa Rosa airport shortly before 8:25 a.m. Saturday and flying southwest for just over two hours before abruptly doubling back toward California just after 10:30 a.m.

Press Democrat Staff Writer Madison Smalstig contributed reporting.