Introduction
A dual night recurrent training flight ended when the aircraft struck the ocean, cartwheeled, and sank near Newport Beach. The flight instructor (CFI) and two student pilots were aboard—one acting as pilot-in-training, the other as a passenger.
Witness Accounts
Ground witnesses observed the aircraft flying very low over a pier at Newport Beach. The aircraft then initiated a right climbing turn. As the turn continued, it began to descend and subsequently made contact with the ocean surface, cartwheeling before sinking.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the aircraft impacted in a nose-low, right-wing-low attitude. The extent of damage was not specified.
Toxicology Results
A student pilot's wife reported that the CFI and her husband had been drinking beer before departure. Toxicology examinations detected alcohol in both the student pilot and the CFI: the student had a blood alcohol level of 0.11%, while the CFI had 0.02%. The student also tested positive for benzoylecgonine (0.32 micrograms/mL) and, in one of two tests, for cocaine. The passenger tested negative for both alcohol and drugs.
Pilot Experience
The CFI had a total flight time of 392 hours.
Conclusion
The official source provides no stated probable cause for the accident. The investigation remains factual as reported.