Pilot in fatal Catalina crash took off after dark, despite warning. Report sheds light on why

The pilot of a small plane that crashed on Santa Catalina Island, killing five, was warned not to take off in treacherous conditions after dark. Now, a new report sheds light on why he waited until after sunset to depart.

The twin-engine Beechcraft 95-B44 airplane crashed about a mile from the Catalina Airport just after 8 p.m. on Oct. 8.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board reveals that the aircraft had insufficient power and needed to be charged shortly before takeoff. It also says the plane did not have clearance to take off and that the airport manager clearly told the pilot he should not depart after dark. However, it does not identify a precise cause of the crash.

Night operations are not permitted at the tiny, single-runway airport because of unsafe conditions — there’s no air traffic controller, no evening attendants and no runway lights. Located atop a 1,602-foot-tall mountain, the airport has a reputation for being a scary place to fly.

California

Pilot in Catalina crash that killed 5 took off after dark: Like flying into a ‘black hole’

Catalina Island’s airport is not equipped for night operations, but a plane took off after dark and crashed, killing everyone aboard.

Oct. 12, 2024

The Beechcraft plane was owned by Ali Safai, 73, of West Hills, according to the Federal Aviation Authority Record. Safai was the founder of a flight school that operated out of the Santa Monica Airport until it closed in 2018.

He died in the crash alongside Haris Ali, 33; Margaret Mary Fenner, 55; Joeun Park, 37; and Gonzalo Lubel, 34, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

The Beechcraft was sent to Catalina to retrieve a flight instructor and two student pilots who were stranded on the island the afternoon of Oct. 8 after experiencing a preflight mechanical malfunction on a rented plane, according to the report.

The stranded group contacted the flight school they rented the plane from and were told that another plane would pick them up and fly them back to Santa Monica Airport. The responding plane was not operated by the flight school and belonged to a friend of the owner of the school, according to the report.

Prior to landing on Catalina at 6:20 p.m., the Beechcraft pilot was informed that he would have to depart the island before sundown at 6:31 p.m., according to the report.

But when the pilot attempted to prepare for takeoff, the right engine would not start because of insufficient battery power, according to the report.

The airport manager then told the pilot that the charging time would push them past sundown and their departure would not be approved.

Despite the dangers of taking off after dark, the pilot insisted on leaving, according to the report.

“The airport manager advised him that, while he could not stop him, his departure would be unapproved and at his own risk,” the report states.

Airport surveillance footage shows the plane taking off on the runway at night, according to the report. Tracking data show that the plane climbed to 75 feet above the runway, veered right and then nosed into a sudden, steep dive seconds after its 8:08 p.m. takeoff.

The plane hit a ridgeline 0.96 miles from the end of the runaway and the main wreckage came to rest in a ravine about 450 feet west of the initial impact point, according to the report. Crews from Avalon and the L.A. County fire and sheriff’s departments joined in a search and found the plane.