Last Tuesday evening, a twin-engine Beechcraft 95 aircraft crashed on Catalina Island, claiming the lives of all five people aboard. The victims have been identified as 73-year-old Ali Reza Safai, 33-year-old Haris Ali, 55-year-old Margaret Mary Fenner, and 34-year-old Gonzalo Lubel. The identity of the fifth victim, a man in his 30s, has yet to be released pending notification of next of kin, as reported by CBS Los Angeles.
The aircraft is believed to have departed from Santa Monica Municipal Airport the day of the crash and landed at Catalina's Airport in the Sky before taking off again around 8 p.m., per hoodline. Shortly after, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received an emergency S.O.S. alert, which turned out to be crucial in guiding responders to quickly to locate the crash site approximately a mile west of the airport.
Officials are still looking to piece together the circumstances that led to the crash. The specific challenges of landing and taking off from the Airport in the Sky, known for its unique approach and elevation, are being carefully examined. "I've landed there multiple times in an airplane. It's tricky," said AIR7's Scott Reiff in a statement obtained by ABC7.
