Nine people are feared to have died after a Coast Guard plane collided with a Marine chopper over the Pacific Ocean near Southern California.

The crash happened Thursday night at around 7:10 pm 15 to 25 miles east of San Clemente Island. The C-130 plane was reported to contain seven crew members, while the AH-1 Cobra helicopter contained two.

Local reports say debris has been found but no survivors have yet been spotted.

Earlier this week, a Cobra was involved in a collision with another US chopper in Afghanistan, killing four American troops and wounding two more.