The plane left an East Bay airport. Not sure why they would fly due west and go out over the ocean at night. It sounds like the plane was low and sputtering over the Moss Beach Distillery which is almost right next door to the Half Moon Bay airport.
With an engine making partial power after taking off to the north, going west is your only real choice. Going east takes you right into rising terrain. Straight ahead takes you to a built up area. Getting back to the airport by making a turn left is your best chance of survival. If you don’t make it to the airport, you might survive a graceful ditching. All this in the dark is tough. This time the chances were slim and none.
Too bad. This is an interesting aircraft.
-PJ