Tragedy Strikes: Five Killed in Catalina Island Plane Crash

A small plane crash near California’s Catalina Island has left five people dead after the twin-engine Beechcraft 95 took off without proper clearance. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, just a mile west of the Catalina Airport, near the island city of Avalon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Among the victims was 73-year-old flight instructor Ali Reza Safai, the owner of the plane. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received an SOS call from one of the passengers after the crash. Sadly, all five adults on board were declared dead at the scene. The identities of three passengers have been released: Haris Ali, 33, and Margaret Mary Fenner, 55. The remaining two victims, men in their 30s, have yet to be publicly identified pending family notification.

While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, it has been confirmed that the plane took off after Catalina Airport had closed for the night. Although Safai had arranged for an after-hours arrival at 6:20 p.m., he did not have approval for takeoff. The airport typically operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and night operations are prohibited due to the lack of runway lighting.

Though the unauthorized takeoff was not considered illegal, it broke airport protocols, which could factor into the investigation.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Bureau shared photos of the wreckage on social media, showing the plane’s shattered fuselage on the side of a hill. Rescuers found the tail of the aircraft about 300 feet down from the crash site.

Safai, a longtime flight instructor and former operator of Santa Monica Aviation, was well-known in the aviation community. On the day of the crash, Safai had volunteered to help members of Proteus Flight School, who were stranded on the island due to mechanical issues with their own aircraft. Proteus Flight School praised Safai’s generosity and willingness to assist those in need.

As the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continue to investigate, this tragic event serves as a reminder of the risks that accompany flight, even in familiar surroundings.