Introduction
A night cross-country flight turned tragic when the aircraft crashed into an ocean bay after departing from a coastal airport. The incident occurred during the return leg of the journey, with the departure route taking the airplane over water.
Accident
Weather conditions at the time were reported as an overcast sky with a ceiling of 800 to 1,000 feet. Witnesses on the ground heard the aircraft's engine and then observed the airplane descending from the bottom of the overcast layer while in a spin. The airplane subsequently struck the water in a near-vertical nose-down attitude.
Search and Recovery
A search for the aircraft initially located only floating debris. Despite several subsequent search efforts, the aircraft itself has not been found. The two occupants were not recovered immediately. The pilot's body was recovered one month after the accident, while the passenger has not been located to date.