Five people were killed after a small plane crashed on Catalina Island, just off the coast of Los Angeles, on Tuesday night, the authorities said.
All five victims were adults, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The names of the victims, their relation to one another and the flight’s destination were not released.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a short statement on Wednesday that preliminary information showed the airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Catalina Airport.
At about 8 p.m., the Avalon Sheriff’s Station received an emergency notification from a cellphone, indicating a collision with possible injuries. The notification included GPS coordinates to a location about one mile west of the airport.
At the scene, the authorities found the wreckage of a Beechcraft 95-B55, a twin-engine plane.
“Due to the rough, steep terrain, the scene is being secured until the arrival of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Emergency Services Detail members,” the release said.
The Avalon Sheriff’s Station, the Federal Aviation Administration and the N.T.S.B. were investigating the crash.
Catalina Island, officially known as Santa Catalina Island, is about 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles and is the southernmost island of the Channel Islands.
The typically quiet island features two towns, Avalon and Two Harbors, and is perhaps best known for its rugged beauty.
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