Accident Overview
An airplane departed Watsonville Municipal Airport at approximately 1450 Pacific Standard Time, destined for Santa Monica. The aircraft failed to arrive at its destination. Fifteen days later, the wreckage was located on Anacapa Island, approximately 14 miles west of Oxnard, where it had struck a ridge with an elevation of 1112 feet at about the 440-foot level.
Weather Conditions
Before departure, the pilot listened to weather reports on the radio but did not receive a briefing from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the National Weather Service (NWS). A frontal system was forecast to cross the planned route, with predictions of multiple cloud layers, low ceilings, restricted visibility, icing, and rain showers. The pilot told a friend, who drove him to the airport, that he could "fly under the heavy clouds" that they observed to the south.
A helicopter pilot who was in the vicinity at the time of the accident reported a 500-foot broken to overcast sky condition with less than 2 miles visibility and moderate rain showers. The accident was estimated to have occurred around dusk.
Radar and Flight Path
Radar data showed a probable track leading toward the accident site, but the aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 22 miles northwest of the crash location, after it had flown west of a more direct route (over ocean water).
Aircraft Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact part failure or malfunction of the airplane or its engine.