On December 27, 1986, a Beech E-55 (registration N111FC) was involved in an aviation accident near East Palo Alto, CA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft departed from Palo Alto Airport at night with six occupants, turned downwind, then lost altitude rapidly and impacted San Francisco Bay. A local pilot noted that the bay waters and horizon can blend during a right crosswind from runway 30, requiring instrument reference.
Departure and Accident Sequence
The pilot and five passengers departed from Palo Alto Airport for a planned vacation in Mexico under dark night conditions. The aircraft was observed to depart from runway 30, then turn from the crosswind leg to the downwind leg. During this maneuver, the aircraft "lost altitude rapidly" and subsequently impacted the San Francisco Bay.
Airport Environment
A pilot familiar with Palo Alto Airport stated that when making a right crosswind from runway 30, "the bay waters and the horizon can blend as one." This phenomenon requires the pilot to "reference flight instruments for a short period" and "can catch a pilot by surprise."
Pilot Qualifications
The pilot received his instrument rating in 1975. However, no record of instrument currency could be found.