Ralph E. Phillips Consulting Engineers

Beechcraft 60 Duke

At about 700 feet msl the pilot reported to Santa Monica tower that his left eng had failed. He immediately feathered the left prop and continued to climb, planning to attempt a restart before returning to land. At about 1,000 feet msl the pilot determined that the aircraft was no longer climbing. His airspeed was below the single engine best rate of climb speed and he felt a power loss in the right engine. He put the nose down and feathered the right prop. The aircraft struck the water 2,000 yards from the Santa Monica pier. Life guards were on the scene with a rescue boat when the pilot surfaced.