5 people killed in Catalina Island airplane crash

By Rebekah Ludman

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    October 09, 2024 (LAPost.com) — Recovery efforts are continuing Wednesday at a plane crash site on Santa Catalina Island that killed all five people who were aboard.

The aircraft crashed shortly after it departed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday from Catalina Airport in Avalon, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. It crashed about a mile west of the airport.

“Avalon Station deputies responded to the location along with Los Angeles County Fire Department, Avalon Search and Rescue and Avalon City Fire Department members,” according to the sheriff’s department. “Under a unified command, they were able to locate the wreckage of a twin-engine aircraft approximately one mile west of Catalina Island Airport.”

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Avalon Station said it received a 911 S.O.S. emergency notification from a cellular device. The notification stated the user’s cell phone had been involved in a collision with possible injuries and provided first responders with GPS coordinates, according to the sheriff’s department.

“While at the crash site, five adults were located and pronounced deceased at the scene.”

First responders suspended the recovery operation Tuesday night due to darkness. However, they resumed efforts Wednesday morning, according to officials.

“Due to the rough, steep terrain, the scene is being secured until the arrival of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Services Detail members,” the sheriff’s department said.

The plane was registered to a man named Ali Safai, of West Hills, who was previously a flight instructor based at Santa Monica Airport, according to FAA records.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

The names of the five people onboard the aircraft have not been released.

Catalina Airport is generally open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and aircraft operations are prohibited when the airport is unattended.

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Rebekah Ludman
rebekah@lapost.com
8182845620