What happened
During a nighttime operation, the crew of a commercial aircraft became disoriented and inadvertently followed an incorrect track toward Oakland. This navigational error led the airplane over the ocean without the crew immediately recognizing their position. As a result of flying beyond the planned fuel range, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot was forced to execute an emergency ditching in the water off Point Reyes.
The accident resulted in significant loss of life. Five occupants were killed, including two members of the flight crew and three passengers. Only the captain and one passenger survived the incident. The deceased crew members included the pilot, the copilot, and a stewardess.
Findings
Official investigations determined that the primary contributing factor was the failure to establish the aircraft's position using standard orientation procedures. Specifically, the pilot did not confirm their location within a reasonable time after intersecting a leg of the Oakland radio range at 0317LT. Additionally, company flight dispatchers failed to properly safeguard the operation of the trip. These combined failures led to the forced landing at sea caused by an exhausted fuel supply.