What happened
During a nighttime operation, an aircraft departed from North Island-Halsey Field NAS. The flight was serving as the second leg of a journey originating from El Centro, with a planned destination of Alameda NAS.
Shortly after ascending from the airfield, the aircraft experienced a loss of control. This instability led to the plane crashing into the ocean in the waters situated west of the airbase, near Point Loma. The accident resulted in five fatalities, as all individuals on board were killed in the impact.
Findings
- The flight was conducted during nighttime hours.
- The loss of control occurred shortly after takeoff.