3 missing after planes collide
Crews search coast near L. A. Harbor for two men, one woman.
Three people were believed to be aboard two small planes that collided midair Friday afternoon off the coast between San Pedro and L. A. Harbor.
Rescue crews searched unsuccessfully into the night for two men, ages 81 and 61, and a 72- year- old woman.
Coast Guard Capt. Jennifer Williams said the two men were aboard one plane and the woman was aboard the other. She said both planes had taken off from the nearby Torrance Airport, and both pilots were experienced.
People aboard a private f ishing vessel alerted reported to the U. S. Coast Guard about 3: 30 p. m. that they saw a plane plunge into the water, said U. S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Andrea Anderson.
Authorities launched a massive search of the area, about two miles south of the Port of Long Beach, with boats, helicopters and divers rushing to the crash site. Amid the debris, a piece of one plane with the tail number was recovered, Anderson said.
No survivors were found by Friday evening. Officials said rescue crews would continue to search hundreds of square miles of ocean throughout the night and the next morning.
At the time of the crash, two small planes were picked up on radar, Anderson said. .
The crash site is in an area that is popular among pilots, located about a quarter- mile south of Angels Gate Light, a historic lighthouse in San Pedro.