Flight Details
A certified flight instructor (CFI) and a private pilot, who was also the aircraft owner, were conducting a training flight. The purpose of the flight was to provide multi-engine training for the new owner.
Contact with Air Traffic Control
During the flight, the crew contacted Los Angeles Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and requested a VOR approach to Santa Monica Airport. They stated that they would not be able to maintain visual flight rules (VFR). In response, TRACON assigned an altitude of 3,000 feet and began providing vectors to the flight.
Loss of Contact
Shortly after the vectors were initiated, radio and radar contact with the aircraft were lost while it was flying over ocean waters approximately 12 miles west of Los Angeles.
Search and Presumption
Neither the aircraft nor the occupants were found. The aircraft was presumed to have crashed into the ocean, and the crew were presumed to have been fatally injured.
Weather Conditions
Rain showers and a thunderstorm were reported in the area at the time.