What happened
On March 3, 1996, a Cessna 421B, registration N69905, went down in the ocean near Vigan in the Philippine Islands. The aircraft, which was operated by Hi Tech Aviation out of Scottsdale, Arizona, had arrived in Manila the previous day, March 2, 1996. The flight was intended to travel from Manila to Vigan to collect a passenger before returning to the capital.
During the final stages of the flight, the aircraft was observed flying within the airport traffic pattern while attempting to land. Following this observation, the plane disappeared, and it is believed that the aircraft impacted the sea. There was one fatality reported, as the pilot was the only person on board the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Records from the FAA indicate that the ownership of the aircraft had recently changed, with a bill of sale showing the plane was sold to a Manila-based company in January 1996.
Findings
Specific details regarding the weather conditions or the exact mechanics of the crash were not documented in the available reports. The precise cause of the impact remains unconfirmed, though the aircraft was in its landing pattern when the incident occurred.