Divers search San Diego coast for missing Navy jet to provide closure for family

Brett Eldridge, who has been diving for this purpose for six years, believes the mission goes beyond uncovering mysteries.

SAN DIEGO — A diver is dedicated to locating lost plane wrecks off San Diego’s coast, specifically searching for a Navy jet that crashed nearly 50 years ago. Brett Eldridge, who has been diving for this purpose for six years, believes the mission goes beyond uncovering mysteries; it’s about providing closure to families of those who are still missing.

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Eldridge has always been passionate about diving, but his work searching for missing aircraft has given that passion deeper significance. 

“Nobody hires us. We just do it because we love doing it,” he said. 

Eldridge noted that while the thrill of discovery is exhilarating.

“The real reward is providing closure for families and giving them a way to connect with the past,” he said.

One significant case involves a Navy jet that went down during a training flight about six miles off Point Loma. The 1978 incident left one pilot, Kenneth Ables, missing along with most of the aircraft. Eldridge shared that Ables’ daughter reached out to fellow specialized diver Tyler Stalter, whom he often searches with, expressing a desire for information about her father’s disappearance. 

“If you’re looking for wrecks, it’d be great if you found my dad’s,” she told him, prompting years of searching without any resolution so far.

Eldridge collaborates with both Stalter and Lora Meyer to locate these wrecks. They use sonar equipment aboard Meyer’s boat, the Marissa, and a specialized underwater vehicle from UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography. When they identify a wreck site, they do not disturb it but instead communicate their findings to the affected families.

“It’s about knowing where it is, knowing it’s there, understanding the history, and being able to provide some kind of closure,” Eldridge said. 

Whether together or solo, the team has discovered several wrecks, including a recent Cessna crash site near Point Loma that killed six people last year. When they provided a photograph of the tail number, it was a significant moment for the families involved. 

“The NTSB and Coast Guard still had it listed as missing because nobody had seen it underwater. When we provided a photo of the tail number, it gave people closure,” Eldridge said.

He emphasizes that this work can be emotional for the families and allows them to connect with their loved ones, adding that many mysteries still remain unsolved, including another tragic military crash from 1953 that killed five service members. 

“For these families, it’s really emotional, and it allows them to connect with what actually happened,” Eldridge said.

To read more about their efforts and help support them, click here.