Accident Overview
The flight departed San Luis Obispo Airport (SBP) en route to Santa Barbara. Weather conditions at SBP were visual flight rules (VFR), but fog was present along the coastal area.
Sequence of Events
Approximately nine minutes after departure, ground witnesses near the crash site heard the airplane's engine, followed by an abrupt cessation of engine sound. Subsequently, a Port San Luis Harbor Patrol officer detected an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal and initiated a search. The wreckage was located about four hours after the search began.
Wreckage Examination
Ground scars and examination of the wreckage indicated that the airplane struck upward-sloping terrain in a wings-level, nose-level attitude. A detailed examination found no evidence of any airplane component malfunctions or failures.