Searchers find small plane that crashed in ocean south of San Francisco, but no word about survivors

The crash was reported around 7 pm Sunday near Half Moon Bay after witnesses reported seeing the plane in obvious distress, KRON-TV reported.The aircraft was found upside down in the water near Ross Cove, about 25 miles 40 kilometres south of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office said.

Search crews have found a small plane that crashed into the ocean off the California coast near San Francisco, authorities said on Monday. The crash was reported around 7 pm Sunday near Half Moon Bay after witnesses reported seeing the plane in obvious distress, KRON-TV reported.

The aircraft was found upside down in the water near Ross Cove, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) south of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said. Officials were inspecting the wreckage.

There was no immediate information about the number of people on board, possible survivors or the type of aircraft involved in the crash.

Melissa Richter was dining on a patio at Moss Beach Distillery when she said she heard an engine losing power, ''like you hear in the movies, when a plane is about to crash''.

The plane came over the top of the building, she said. ''We figured something was wrong, because it was so close to the restaurant,'' Richter told KRON. She said the engine cut out, and the plane ''banked in, and we lost sight of it at that point''.

The plane originated from the East Bay, Sheriff's Sgt Philip Hallworth said, but he declined to name the exact airport it took off from.