SB County Sheriff’s Office identifies missing pilot, continues search for plane crash near Isla Vista coast

ISLA VISTA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office announced that the search is still on for a missing pilot following a plane crash off the coast of Isla Vista Sunday morning.

The plane, a Cessna 182 Skylane, was occupied by a single pilot identified as 61-year-old Deborah Nicholson from the Lake Tahoe area.

Nicholson took off from the Santa Barbara Airport in her single-engine aircraft around 7 a.m. Sunday before suddenly losing altitude and crashing into the ocean about 2.5 miles out from the coast of Isla Vista. According to the SB Airport, she was headed for the Lake Tahoe and Truckee, Calif. area.

A search for the crashed plane and its pilot quickly ensued and involved the Coast Guard, Harbor Patrol, and Santa Barbara County personnel.

Around 9 a.m., a debris field matching the description of the Cessna 182 and some personal items were located in the water.

Unfortunately, due to the depth of the crash, the search for the pilot and plane had to be suspended while crews waited for the arrival of the LA County Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau's Dive program, or SEB Dive.

SEB Dive arrived at the site of the crash on Monday with their Ocean Rescue boat which has a dive platform that can hold more than a dozen divers. The SEB divers are capable of diving down 300 fsw or 'feet of sea water.'

These divers are continuing the search for Nicholson and the plane.

Surfers at Campus Point near UCSB said it was too foggy to see the dive boat on Monday, but they said the water appears to be clear.

Surfer Dana Long said, "If they are two miles off of Campus Point, it's probably 80 to 100 feet of water. They ought to be able to find her, I would think, with today's technology."

Lt. Erik Raney said, "The Sheriff's Office is taking the lead in trying to find that pilot and any debris or wreckage that is under water at this point."

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.