A small plane crashed off Monterey city in the US on Saturday, leaving at least three people dead, media reports said.

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Unit has confirmed the mishap.

The Sheriff's office identified the three deceased persons as  Steve Eugene Clatterbuck, 60, of Salinas; James Vincent, 36, of Monterey; and Jamie Lee Tabscott, 44, also of Monterey.

"The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Unit has identified the occupants of the twin-engine aircraft that went down near Point Pinos, California on the evening of Saturday, July 26th, 2025," the office wrote on X.

"The family and friends of the deceased have expressed that they wish to extend their gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community. They ask for privacy during this difficult time," the office said.

The plane, identified by FAA records as a twin-engine Beechcraft built in 1974, took off from San Carlos Airport near Redwood City at 10:11 p.m. Saturday, New York Post reported.

The US Coast Guard said it conducted the search operation with state and local agencies.

"Station Monterey launched a 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew, which arrived on scene approximately 15 minutes after notification. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Francisco also coordinated the launch of an Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crew for the initial aerial searches. An Air Station Ventura MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was also launched to conduct a search at first light," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

"At 3:01 a.m. Sunday morning, the Monterey Fire Boat 12 crew located the first person on scene, unresponsive. At 5:56 a.m. a CAL Fire drone located the Beechcraft fuselage. The Monterey Fire Boat 12 crew then worked in conjunction with a commercial dive team to locate and recover the remaining two people inside the aircraft between 6:31 a.m. and 9:08 a.m., both found unresponsive," the statement said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.