James Vincent, Jamie Lee Tabscott Obituary, Death – Three individuals have been confirmed dead following a plane crash off the coast of Monterey County, California, late Saturday night. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office identified the victims as 60-year-old Steve Eugene Clatterbuck from Salinas, along with James Vincent, 36, and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, both residents of Monterey.
The aircraft involved in the crash was a twin-engine Beechcraft 55 Baron, registered with the tail number N8796R. According to flight tracking data from FlightAware.com, the plane departed San Carlos Airport in San Mateo County at 10:11 p.m. on Saturday. It was expected to arrive at Monterey Regional Airport around 10:37 p.m., but contact was lost around the time it was scheduled to land. The aircraft reportedly went down in the waters approximately 200 to 300 yards from Point Pinos, near Pacific Grove.
Following the crash, a multi-agency search and rescue mission was launched. The U.S. Coast Guard, Cal Fire, and several local emergency agencies began search operations just before 11 p.m. Saturday. The extensive search effort covered roughly 100 square miles of ocean.
The first victim was discovered around 3:08 a.m. Sunday by a Monterey Fire Department boat crew. That individual was found unresponsive in the water. The remaining two victims were located a few hours later still inside the wreckage. A drone operated by Cal Fire spotted the plane’s fuselage beneath the surface shortly before 6 a.m. Commercial divers were deployed and managed to recover one of the bodies around 6:30 a.m., with the second being retrieved by 9:08 a.m., according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves.
The aircraft was registered to SEA2SKY AVIATION LLC, a company based in Dover, Delaware, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. At this time, authorities have not released further information on the company’s activities or the purpose of the flight.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation to determine what led to the fatal crash. No immediate cause has been identified, and investigators will be looking into various possibilities, including mechanical failure, weather conditions, and pilot actions.
The tragic incident has left the local community in mourning as they await answers. The victims were known locally, and their deaths have drawn concern and condolences from area residents. Local authorities and the NTSB are expected to release more details in the coming days as the investigation progresses.
As the search and recovery operation concludes, officials continue to assess the crash site for additional debris and data that might help piece together the final moments of the flight. The FAA is also supporting the investigation to ensure a thorough analysis of the aircraft and its flight history.
