Accident Overview
On September 27, 2020, at 0703 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T182T airplane, registration N157RC, was destroyed when it impacted the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, California. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight.
Flight and Communications
The pilot departed Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) at approximately 0701, after receiving takeoff clearance from runway 15L. About 0.5 nautical miles off the departure end, at an altitude of about 700 feet mean sea level (msl), the local controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control. The pilot acknowledged. At 0702, as the airplane reached 1,000 ft msl, the pilot contacted departure control. The controller advised a right turn to heading 255° and a climb to 8,000 ft. Radar data showed the airplane turning right (west) at 1,300 ft msl, followed by a turn to the north and a rapid descent. At 0703, radar contact was lost and no further transmissions were received from the pilot.
Wreckage and Examination
The wreckage was located on October 1, 2020, by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Dive Unit at a depth of approximately 200 ft. The airplane was recovered and examined. The fuselage and wings were fragmented and highly compressed. Aileron control continuity was established from the control surfaces to the wing root, where cables separated from tension overload; the cabin section of the aileron cable system was not recovered. Elevator and rudder control continuity was established to the point of aft fuselage separation. The aileron control yokes, rudder pedals, firewall instrument panel, and engine were not recovered. The fuel selector was found in the BOTH position; both wing fuel tanks were breached. Fuel receipts indicated the pilot had purchased 40 gallons of 100LL fuel on the morning of the accident.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting station was at Oxnard Airport (OXR), about 33 miles east-southeast. At 0651, OXR reported wind from 060° at 4 knots, visibility 7 statute miles, overcast ceiling at 1,400 ft, temperature 19°C, dew point 17°C, and altimeter 29.87 inHg. An AIRMET for instrument flight rules conditions in mist and fog was active for the accident location. Pilot reports in the Los Angeles area near the accident time referenced instrument meteorological conditions between 1,400 and 2,000 ft. Sunrise occurred at 0651; at the accident time, the sun was about 1.9° above the horizon at an azimuth of 93°.
Pilot and Toxicology
An autopsy performed by the Santa Barbara County Coroner listed the cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries. Postmortem toxicological testing by Ascertain Forensics detected ethanol at 0.05 g/dL in spleen tissue and presumptively identified ß-phenylethylamine. Testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.024 g/dL in cavity blood and did not detect ethanol in urine. The report noted that ethanol and ß-phenylethylamine can be produced by microbes after death.