Flight Plan and Route
A newly certificated private pilot, accompanied by a passenger, departed for a planned 1.5-hour night flight over San Francisco Bay's standard tourist sights. This was the pilot's third night flight. The pilot requested a VFR clearance from ATC for the 'standard bay tour,' a term recognized by the TRACON for a route over the bay's landmarks, south along the Pacific coast to Half Moon Bay, then across the coastal mountains to the San Jose area.
Radar data and ATC transcripts show the flight proceeded north along the bay to the Golden Gate Bridge, then turned south along the peninsula's Pacific coast. During the flight, the pilot requested a descent to 1,300 feet to stay below stratus clouds. Radar service was terminated 5 miles north of Half Moon Bay as the aircraft descended below the TRACON's radar coverage floor of 1,000 feet msl. At that time, the pilot stated that Half Moon Bay airport was in sight.
Disappearance and Search
The aircraft never returned to San Jose. It was reported missing on June 18, and an initial search did not locate it. On July 18, the wreckage was found in a heavily forested coastal mountain canyon south of Carmel, at an elevation of 1,750 feet msl. The accident site is 85 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 15 miles south of the well-lit Monterey peninsula. The area is sparsely populated with few ground reference lights.
Wreckage Description
The aircraft collided with redwood trees in a level flight attitude. The hobbs meter indicated 2.5 elapsed hours since departure, consistent with the flight duration exceeding the planned 1.5 hours.