Event Summary
An experimental light sport airplane experienced an in-flight anomaly while cruising over the Pacific Ocean, approximately 500 feet above the water and offshore from Emma Wood State Beach in California. The pilot subsequently executed a water landing about 600 feet from the coastline. A person on a jet ski rescued the pilot and passenger shortly after the impact.
Pilot Accounts
The pilot provided multiple accounts of the incident. In a report submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), he stated that while cruising at about 500 feet, the airplane's "flying characteristics appeared unusual" and the control stick felt "bound-up," causing the airplane to bank left. He responded by intentionally putting the airplane into the water.
In a separate statement to a responding deputy from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, the pilot described a different sequence. He indicated that he and his passenger had been flying at a safe altitude between 200 and 300 feet above the water, about 100 yards from shore, when the engine began to lose power. He turned toward the shore and looked for a safe landing area when "something broke off." The airplane then lost altitude and, unable to reach the shore, crashed into the ocean.
When interviewed by the NTSB investigator, the pilot mentioned that he was familiar with the area, having grown up surfing there. He also stated that after recovering the airplane from the water, he examined it and found the stick and aileron cables appeared okay, with no physical evidence of a flight control problem. He did not report any malfunction with the engine, propeller, or accessories.
Witness Accounts
A witness camping at Emma Wood State Beach with his children reported observing the airplane flying between 20 and 50 feet above the ocean just before it turned left and impacted the water.
A second witness, also at a campsite on the beach, provided a drawing to the NTSB investigator depicting the flight path, crash site, and bystander locations. This witness, a fireman, reported that prior to the crash he saw the airplane flying straight and level in a southerly direction at about 20 feet above the water, 100 yards from the beach, and approximately 50 yards horizontally from surfers. He stated that "when the plane turned toward the beach...the left wing clipped the water" at a point about 100 yards horizontally from his position.
The pilot's passenger was interviewed by the deputy and estimated that the pilot had been flying between 100 and 200 feet above the ocean just prior to impact.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the airplane wreckage and confirmed flight control continuity. No evidence of control binding was observed. The pilot's examination also found no anomalies with the flight control system.