I've flown out of there a lot, and if you're routed over LAX VFR, it's
usually via the Special Flight Rules corridor. Out of KSMO runway 21,
you'll do a right climbing 270 to set up for SFR heading southeast.

Looking at his radar track, I can only speculate that he was either
doing the above with a really wide 270 when the engine failed, or that
he was actually doing the standard shoreline departure north and this
wasn't the actual Angel Flight yet.

Ben Hallert
PP-ASEL - http://hallert.net/cozy/