Small Plane Goes Down on Catalina Island, 5 Confirmed Dead

Small Plane Goes Down on Catalina Island, 5 Confirmed Dead
Image By: AP News

Officials said that a tiny plane crashed on Tuesday off the coast of Catalina Island, California, killing five persons. The twin-engine Beechcraft 95 crashed shortly after taking off from Catalina Airport in Avalon at approximately 8 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Subsequently, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said that the Avalon station received a 911 emergency message from a cellphone with GPS coordinates and informing that the user had been engaged in an accident with potential injuries.

The jet was discovered roughly a mile west of Catalina Airport by a combined search and rescue team consisting of Avalon station deputies, Los Angeles County fire officers, Avalon Search and Rescue employees, and Avalon City Fire Department members, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

The announcement indicated that the five adults had been found dead. The victims’ names, relationships to one another, and the location of the aircraft remained a secret.

In a statement, the National Transportation Safety Board stated that it will look into the collision. The pilot’s medical records, meteorological data, maintenance records, and radar data will all be requested by the NTSB.

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The NTSB further stated that a complete report that includes a probable cause of the crash will not be made public for 12 to 24 months, but a preliminary report with factual material obtained during the investigation’s first phase is anticipated to be provided in 30 days.

Located roughly 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles is Santa Catalina Island, which is a part of the Channel Islands. With a single, 3,000-foot runway, Catalina Island Airport is located on a 1,602-foot-tall mountainside in the island’s middle.

By: nbcnews.com

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