Passenger likely identified in Oceano plane crash

January 23, 2014

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has identified the passenger on board a plane that crashed off the coast of Oceano on Jan. 14 as 52-year-old Alan George Gaynor of Los Angeles.

Earlier this week, the sheriff’s office suspended a dive team search for bodies due to rough sea conditions. Officials have yet to recover the bodies of the two plane crash victims, but they have reason to believe they have identified both the pilot and passenger, according to Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Cipolla.

Last week, the sheriff’s office identified David Brian Casey, of Harbor, Wash, as the suspected pilot of the plane. Investigator, though, have not positively identified Casey or Gaynor. They did determine that Casey owned the plane.

The sheriff’s office is in contact with the families of Casey and Gaynor and has assured that it will do whatever possible, while weighing the safety of the divers, to recover the bodies.

The rough sea conditions are expected to last through the remainder of the week. Sheriff Ian Parkinson will then determine how the dive team will proceed with the search.