Plane from Santa Monica Airport Crashes on Catalina Island; Five Onboard Are Dead

A twin-engine plane crashed shortly after departing from Catalina Airport in Avalon on the night of October 8, resulting in the deaths of all five individuals on board, authorities confirmed. The flight originated at the Santa Monica Airport.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies at the Avalon Station received a distress notification via cellphone shortly after the crash, just after 8 p.m. The message indicated possible injuries and provided a location approximately one mile west of the airport.

Upon arriving at the rugged, steep terrain, deputies, alongside Los Angeles County firefighters, discovered the wreckage. Unfortunately, all five occupants of the Beechcraft 95 were pronounced dead at the scene.

Avalon Search and Rescue and the Avalon City Fire Department also participated in the recovery efforts. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the incident. The FAA released a preliminary report on Wednesday, noting that the cause of the crash remains undetermined.

The plane was registered to a private owner based in West Hills, San Fernando Valley. According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking service, the aircraft had previously flown from Santa Monica to Avalon, landing around 6:20 p.m.

The identities of those on board have not been disclosed pending family notification.

Catalina Airport has a history of serious incidents; in 2008, three people from Laguna Beach lost their lives when a single-engine Mooney M20J failed to take off and crashed off the end of the runway. The following year, another tragic crash claimed the lives of three individuals, including a pilot from Dana Point, when a Beechcraft Bonanza went down into a hillside after taking off from the airport.