UPDATED: Three bodies recovered after a small plane crashed into a cove off of Asilomar State Beach.

Just before 11pm on Saturday, July 26, a twin-engine plane carrying three people crashed into a small cove off of Asilomar State Beach, near the intersection of Sunset Drive and Arena Avenue. There were no survivors.

All three bodies have been recovered, according to a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson speaking on Sunday morning. The bodies were released to the Monterey County Coroner's Office.

The watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Monterey were made aware of the crash at 10:55pm Saturday, according to a USCG press release. They launched a 29-foot response boat, which arrived at the scene approximately 15 minutes later. 

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Francisco also coordinated the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to aid in the search at dawn.

The plane—a twin-engine Beechcraft, tail number N8796R—which originally took off from San Carlos Airport, was located in the search. The registered owner is listed as Sea2Sky Aviation LLC, with a start date of Jan. 25, 2025, according to a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration webpage.

According to the website Aviation Safety Network, the plane crashed as it was approaching Monterey Regional Airport.

"On approach the aircraft entered a descending left-hand turn. During the turn the aircraft climbed again before entering a high-speed descent until it crashed into the sea about 22:38 hours (10:38pm)," the website states.

The crew of Monterey Fire Boat 12 located the first person who was unresponsive at 3:01am, according to an updated USCG press release. At 5:56am a Cal Fire drone located the fuselage of the aircraft. The crew of the fire boat worked in conjunction with a commercial dive team to locate and recover the remaining two people between 6:31am and 9:08am. Both were unresponsive.

At 10:30am two members of the Monterey County Sheriff Dive Team could still be seen in the cove, about 200 to 300 feet offshore, where the plane crashed. Officers with California State Parks were carrying away plastic bags full of material from the beach.

The search took a combined total of 13 hours with a search area of approximately 100 square miles. Other agencies involved included the Pacific Grove Police Department, Monterey County Sheriff's Office, San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the Underwater Dive Company. 

The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the cause of the crash. No reports as to the suspected cause was available as of Sunday morning.

There will also be a response by the Coast Guard's Maritime Environmental Program at the site to assess any environmental impacts.