Four of the six people killed in Sunday’s crash of a small Cessna plane into the ocean off Sunset Cliffs have been identified in a fundraising campaign as members of the same Arizona family.
A verified GoFundMe campaign said Jeremy Bingham and his three adult sons — Bailey, Gavin and Ayden — were aboard the plane when it crashed.
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The two others who died were the pilot and his pregnant wife, according to the campaign. Their names were not listed.
“This devastating loss has left behind a heartbroken family,” organizer Hope Lofgreen of Thatcher, Ariz., wrote in the campaign. “These four incredible men were taken far too soon, and their absence leaves a void that words cannot describe.”
According to the GoFundMe, Jeremy is survived by his wife and daughter, while Bailey had a 9-month-old son and was excited about celebrating his first Father’s Day. Ayden was engaged to be married.
Funds raised will be used to support the family.
“Jeremy was a pillar of strength in both his family and community. He was selfless, hardworking, and endlessly generous — someone who would drop everything to help anyone in need,” the campaign said.
Bailey was described as a “loving new father” who had “a calm, patient soul with the biggest heart” who always put family and friends first.
Gavin was described as “deeply driven and independent, yet incredibly soft-hearted,” who made “everyone feel loved and seen.” And Ayden was “the life of the party” who lit up every room with his energy and contagious laughter, and who approached life with “dedication and passion,” the campaign reads.
The twin-engine Cessna crashed about 12:30 p.m. Sunday shortly after taking off from San Diego International Airport after the pilot told an air traffic controller he was “struggling” to fly to a higher altitude. The controller tried to divert him to Naval Air Station North Island, which was about a mile away, before the plane went down.
A search for survivors was suspended Tuesday morning after Coast Guard personnel, along with other agencies, used aircraft and boats to scour 300 square miles of ocean for around 35 hours.
All of the victims lived in the Gila Valley community in eastern Arizona, according to a spokesperson for a wellness company that used to own the Cessna 414 that crashed. The company sold the plane two years ago to a group of unnamed individuals, the spokesperson said.
