On July 17, 1985, a Piper PA-28-235 (registration N15548) operated by Monterey Navy Flying Club was involved in an aviation accident near Monterey, CA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a training flight to practice holding over a VOR intersection offshore, the pilot declared a mayday due to a rough engine. The radar target disappeared at 1,300 feet, and the Coast Guard recovered debris.
Flight and Emergency
A pilot departed on a training flight with the objective of practicing holding procedures over a VOR intersection located 12 miles offshore. Approximately 12 minutes after takeoff, the pilot declared a mayday, reporting a rough engine, to a control tower specialist in Monterey, California. The specialist observed the aircraft's radar target on his BRITE tube until it vanished at an altitude of 1,300 feet.
Recovery
The Coast Guard conducted a search and recovered a few pieces of debris from the aircraft. No further details about the aircraft or the pilot were provided in the investigation source.