NTSB Factual Report

On February 12, 1995, about 0954 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 182Q, N4875N, collided with the ocean in the Gulf of the Farallones, about 5 miles west of San Francisco, California. The airplane was operated by San Carlos Flight Center, and rented by the pilot for a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane is missing and presumed to be destroyed by impact with the water and salt water immersion. The certificated private pilot and one passenger are missing and presumed to have received fatal injuries. One passenger was fatally injured and found floating in the water several days after the accident. The flight originated at 0932 hours from San Carlos, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The U.S. Park Police, San Francisco Field Office, Presido Public Safety, recovered the right main landing gear wheel assembly from the missing airplane. The wheel assembly was found by a citizen on the Fort Cronkite Beach, about 5 miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The pilot's automobile driver's license and a credit card were found on a Marin County Beach, Marin, California. The items were taken to the Wells Fargo Bank, Mill Valley, California, by two unidentified women. The Marin County Sheriff is investigating, and as of the date of this report, no further information concerning the identity of the women or the exact name of the beach has been obtained.

There has been no further recovery of the airplane's wreckage at the time of the filing of this report. The circumstances surrounding the airplane's collision with the water are undetermined.

NTSB Probable Cause

an inflight collision with water for undetermined reasons.