What happened
During a night flight departing from Santa Monica, the pilot of a Mitsubishi MU-2 contacted TRACON to request clearance through TCA at 6,500 feet. After TRACON was unable to facilitate an automated VFR handoff to ARTCC, radar service was terminated. The pilot then contacted the Santa Barbara FSS, his home airport.
At the time of the flight, weather conditions included visibility of 6 miles with fog, a ceiling of 4,000 feet overcast, and broken clouds at 2,700 feet. The pilot had not filed a flight plan and began a VOR runway 25 approach without obtaining prior clearance. As the Mitsubishi MU-2 continued its inbound descent through the clouds, it converged with a Fairchild SA227 that was on an IFR approach to the airport.
The ARTCC controller, who had been controlling the Fairchild aircraft, alerted the FSS specialist to the situation. Pilots of both aircraft were notified of each other's positions. When asked if he was operating in IMC, the pilot of the MU-2 did not respond. The MU-2 pilot reported being 7 or 8 miles out on the VOR approach and was warned again regarding the position of the Fairchild aircraft on final approach. He was instructed to contact ARTCC after landing, but no further radio calls were received from the MU-2.
Radar data indicated that the two aircraft converged within 400 feet of each other. The pilot of the MU-2 began a left turn over the shoreline, appearing to attempt a circling maneuver for spacing, but the aircraft entered a descent and crashed into the ocean. There were no survivors.
The investigation
An examination of the light bulbs from the wreckage indicated that the master caution and battery over-temperature lights were illuminated at the time of impact.