Small Airplane Crash off California Coast: Home-Built Aircraft Plunges into Ocean, No Survivors Found
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A small airplane, constructed over nearly a decade, crashed into the ocean off the California coast on Sunday. The single-engine Cozy Mark IV, one of tens of thousands of home-built aircraft in the country, went down just south of San Francisco. Federal investigators believe that four people were aboard the plane at the time of the crash. Tragically, no survivors have been found, and only one body has been recovered from the waters near Half Moon Bay.
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The plane was registered to Winged Wallabies, Inc., an Oakland-based company, according to records from the Federal Aviation Administration. The names of the pilot and two other passengers have not been released.
While there have been no official indications as to what went wrong, a witness reported hearing the engine losing power and cutting out. Thane Ostroth, a retired dentist who spent nearly a decade building the aircraft, sold it last year to a young and enthusiastic pilot from Australia. Ostroth described the buyer as knowledgeable about planes and impressed by his successful first test flight. The plane was sold for around $100,000, which is approximately the amount Ostroth estimated he had invested in the project.
A total of over 33,000 amateur-built aircraft are licensed by the FAA, a number that has tripled since the 1980s. These planes, classified as “experimental” by the administration, are required to undergo annual inspections for airworthiness. Cozy aircraft, like the one involved in the crash, have a safety record comparable to commercially built planes of similar size.
The Cozy Mark IV, a popular choice among aviation hobbyists who build their own aircraft, is known for its canard design and lightweight construction. With a top speed approaching 200 mph, it is fast, stable, and fuel-efficient. The Mark IV is often described as a “sports car in the sky” and is a joy to fly.
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The crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days. Our thoughts go out to the families of those involved in this tragic incident..
