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New details are emerging about the fatal plane crash on Catalina Island that killed five people

New details are emerging about the fatal plane crash on Catalina Island that killed five people

The pilot of a small plane that crashed on Santa Catalina Island shortly after takeoff in October, killing all five people on board, ignored warnings to stay on the ground, and a new report reveals more details about why.

The twin-engine Beechcraft 95 crashed shortly after 8 p.m. on October 8. According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane had to be charged before takeoff, pushing the departure time after sunset, when flights are not allowed due to lack of runway lighting. But the pilot ignored the airport manager and took off anyway, hitting a ridge shortly after takeoff. However, the NTSB report does not go into identifying the exact cause of the crash.

How it unfolded

According to the report released earlier this week, a flight instructor and two student pilots were preparing to leave Catalina Island Airport when their plane malfunctioned. When they contacted the flight school where they rented the plane in Santa Monica, they were told another plane would be sent to pick them up.

The airport manager gave the pilot permission to land at Catalina Island Airport after hours, but told them they had to leave with the stranded passengers before sunset at 6:31 p.m.

The airport closes at 5:00 PM and night operations are not allowed as there are no runway lights. But the plane landed at 6:20 p.m. and when it tried to take off, it wouldn’t restart because the battery needed to be charged. Because charging the plane would take time, the airport manager told the pilots that takeoff after sunset would not be approved.

“The pilot/aircraft owner informed the airport manager that he had to go and still planned to leave. The airport manager told him that although he could not stop him, his departure would not be approved and would be at his own risk,” the report said.

Since the flight was operated as a “private flight”, under federal regulations, it was not illegal for the pilot to take off without permission. The airport manager told investigators that he heard the departure from his home around 8 p.m. and that the plane crashed at 8:05 p.m.

The aircraft struck a ridge about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the runway, while the wreckage was found about 450 feet (130 m) west of where the initial impact occurred.

The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as: Ali Safai, 73; Margaret Fenner, 55; Haris Ali, 33; Gonzalo Lubel, 34; and Joeunpark, 37.