What happened
During a regional mission conducted for the Department of Commerce, a twin-engine airplane entered an unplanned descent while flying through cloudy weather. The aircraft transitioned into a nose-down attitude, leading to an unstable flight path. During this uncontrolled descent, the plane made contact with power lines before ultimately crashing in the Corona del Mar area.
The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were nine fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft, with no survivors reported from the crash site.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary factor was an uncontrolled descent. This loss of control was triggered by a miscellaneous instrument failure that occurred during the flight, though the specific origin of the malfunction remains undetermined.