What happened
On August 29, 1987, at approximately 1700 Pacific Daylight Time, an aircraft departed from Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, California. The pilot informed family members and friends of his intention to conduct a flight along the coastline with plans to return during the evening hours. However, the aircraft did not arrive back at its origin as scheduled.
Following the failure of the aircraft to return, the Civil Air Patrol initiated a search operation for both the missing aircraft and the pilot. This extensive search effort continued for several days without success. Due to the lack of any physical evidence or contact from the flight, authorities concluded that the aircraft was likely destroyed and that the pilot had sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation relied heavily on witness statements regarding the pilot's intentions and the subsequent aerial search efforts conducted by the Civil Air Patrol. No mechanical examination of the wreckage was possible due to its non-recovery. The absence of any debris field or signal during the multi-day search period contributed to the determination that the aircraft did not land safely.
Findings
The primary finding centers on the disappearance of the aircraft after departure from Van Nuys Airport. The pilot's stated plan to fly along the coast and return at night suggests a VFR flight profile, but the lack of any further communication or location data indicates a catastrophic event occurred during the outbound leg of the journey. The failure of the search teams to locate any trace of the aircraft or the pilot over several days supports the conclusion that the plane did not land intact.
Van Nuys Airport served as the point of origin for this fatal flight. The pilot was presumed fatally injured in the incident. The aircraft is considered destroyed based on the total lack of recovery.