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New details emerge in fatal Catalina Island plane crash that killed 5 people
A small plane lands on Catalina's Airport in the Sky as the U.S. Marines and Navy Seabees rebuild the mountaintop runway on storied Santa Catalina Island in 2019.
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Damian Dovarganes
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Associated Press
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The pilot of a small plane that crashed on Santa Catalina Island in October shortly after takeoff — killing all five people on board — ignored warnings to remain grounded, and a new report reveals more details about why.
The twin engine Beechcraft 95 crashed shortly after 8 p.m. on Oct. 8. According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane had to be charged before takeoff, pushing its departure time past sunset, when flights aren't authorized due to lack of runway lighting. But the pilot ignored the airport manager and took off anyway, striking a ridge line shortly after takeoff. The NTSB report, however, stops short of 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 depart Catalina Island Airport when their aircraft malfunctioned. When they contacted the flight school they rented the plane from in Santa Monica, they were informed another plane would be sent to pick them up.
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The airport manager gave the pilot permission to land at Catalina Island Airport after hours but informed them they had to depart with the stranded passengers before sundown at 6:31 p.m.
The airport closes at 5 p.m. and nighttime operations are not allowed as there is no runway lighting. But the aircraft landed at 6:20 p.m. and when it attempted to take off, it wouldn't restart since the battery had to be charged. Since charging the plane would take time, the airport manager told the pilots their post sunset takeoff would not be approved.
“The pilot / airplane owner informed the airport manager that he had to go and intended to depart anyway. The airport manager advised him that, while he could not stop him, his departure would be unapproved and at his own risk,” according to the report.
Since the flight was operating as a “private flight,” under federal regulations it was not illegal for the pilot to take off without clearance. The airport manager told investigators he heard the departure from his home at around 8 p.m. and the plane crashed at 8:05 p.m.
The aircraft hit a ridgeline around 1 mile southwest from the runway with the wreckage found about 450 feet west of where the initial impact occurred.
The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims: Ali Safai, 73; Margaret Fenner, 55; Haris Ali, 33; Gonzalo Lubel, 34; and Joeun Park, 37.
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