Accident Details
On May 8, 2015, at 0115 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172S, registration N191TG, departed Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County (KPAO), Palo Alto, California. The flight was en route to an unknown destination. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, has not been located since that time, and the airplane is missing and presumed to have crashed in the Pacific Ocean. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight.
The airplane was registered to Tango Golf Aerospace and leased back to Advantage Aviation. On May 8, a representative from Advantage Aviation contacted the Palo Alto Police Department and reported that the airplane and pilot were missing. The representative stated that the missing pilot was a contract flight instructor with Advantage Aviation, but that the flight in question was not scheduled, dispatched, or authorized. The Palo Alto Police Department later classified the airplane as stolen.
Flight Path
Recorded radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration showed radar returns believed to be N191TG beginning at 01:14:41. The data depicted an aircraft on a 1200 transponder code departing from Palo Alto Airport and tracking generally westbound to the Pacific coast about 5 miles southwest of Half Moon Bay, California. The aircraft then turned left and followed the coastline. The last transponder return was recorded over the water about 5 miles west of Davenport, California, at 01:41:06, indicating an altitude of about 800 feet above sea level.
A primary target with no altitude information was then seen executing a series of maneuvers in the vicinity. At 0215, primary targets consistent with N191TG began heading away from land on a true course of about 220 degrees. The targets continued straight ahead until no longer visible to radar. The last primary target was observed at 36.343°N, 123.196°W at 0243 PDT.
Search Efforts
N191TG was equipped with a 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) registered to the aircraft. According to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, a single transmission with no associated location information was received from the ELT at 0424 PDT by a search-and-rescue satellite.
The U.S. Coast Guard conducted a search for the missing airplane, and ramp checks were conducted at several airports along the apparent route of flight; however, no wreckage was found. The airplane and pilot remain missing.