Oxnard

The aircraft was destroyed after an uncontrolled descent into the Pacific ocean about 14 miles west-southwest of El Segundo, California. The pilot was presumed to have been fatally injured. According to a company search pilot, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident area about 1.5 hours after the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the positioning flight which originated at Oxnard, California, on the morning of the accident for a flight to San Diego, California. The aircraft departed Oxnard on a special VFR clearance. The tops of the clouds were reported to be about 1,200 feet msl. The aircraft transitioned southbound through the NAWS Point Mugu airspace. The Point Mugu radar approach control monitored the aircraft on radar for about 25 miles. The pilot was subsequently given a frequency change to SOCAL Tracon. There was no contact made with that facility. A search was initiated when the aircraft failed to arrive at the intended destination. A review of the recorded radar data revealed the aircraft was level at 1,800 feet msl and then climbed to about 2,000 feet msl, at which time it disappeared from radar.

While on a night approach to Oxnard Airport, the twin engine airplane descended below the MDA then collided with a plowed field located six miles east of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The crew was completing a training mission on behalf of the 28th Squadron based in Oxnard. Following several touch-and-go maneuvers at Palmdale Airport, the crew continued to George Airbase in Victorville. While returning to Oxnard, the captain contacted ATC and received the permission to divert to Ventura Airport to perform few instruments approaches. While descending under VFR mode by night, the captain was informed about the presence of two successives cloud layers at 5,000 feet and 3,000 feet and instructed to report while over the last marker. Five minutes later, the airplane struck trees and crashed about 7 miles southwest of Newhall. Three crew members were killed instantly while three others walked away for all night to find help the next morning at 0630LT.