A plane crash off the coast of Catalina Island claimed the lives of five people on board a Beechcraft 95 on Tuesday, October 8th. The incident was located at Catalina Island around 8 pm. News reports show that “one civilian, around the time of the crash, sent a SOS message via cellphone and sent GPS coordinates to the crash location.” Avalon Station responded to the location with the Los Angeles Fire Department, Avalon City Fire Department, and Avalon Search and Rescue. A news release told the New York Times that all crash victims were adults.
While the reporters have not found the set destination, they can confirm the victims’ identities. The identities are as follows: Margret Fenner, Joeun Park Ali Safai, Haris Ali, and Gonzalo Lubel. One of the victims, Ali Reza Safai, 73, was the aircraft’s registered owner. The plane arrived at Catalina Airport around 6:20 pm., with everything organized to set off. The departure occurred after sunset, and the airport lacked night-operating lights. Even with these set circumstances, the pilot did not have the clearance for takeoff as the airport was closed at the time. Even though the departure was unapproved, it was not an action considered to be illegal.
The pilot ascended 75 feet above the runway, veered right, and then dove headfirst into a tragic crash. Then, CRASH! The aircraft then slammed into the hillside, taking the lives of everyone on board. It could take months, possibly years, to determine the cause of the crash. “I did see it from the air. It appeared to be a white aircraft, mostly intact,” said Capt. Matthew King of the LA County Sheriff’s Department. “It was a mile from the runway. Based on debris, we can’t tell if it was from take-off or attempted landing.”
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) are investigating the crash. An NTSB investigator was dispatched to the scene to document and examine the aircraft. The investigation will consider factors such as radar data, weather conditions, maintenance records, and the pilot’s medical history.
The late plane’s pilot was an old owner of a flight school in Santa Monica. It is indeed a tragedy that a former flight school teacher seemed to crash a plane. This lethal incident has deeply affected the local community and the aviation sector. The pilot, Ali Safai, was a flight instructor who was respected at Santa Monica Airport. His generosity was evident when he volunteered to assist in retrieving stranded occupants on Catalina Island. “He was a pilot. He taught people—a wonderful human being. Great father. You see this on the news. You never think it’s going to be your neighbor. And this is just horrible,” a friend said.
This story highlights the last moments of Ali Safai and the five other inhabitants of the aircraft. The victims’ lives were in fear rather than being safe. If Safai had waited to fly, this mishap wouldn’t have happened in the first place. If the flights had checked his flight schedule, this mishap wouldn’t have happened in the first place, and the five people onboard that aircraft would still be alive today.
