Instructor, Student Killed in Santa Monica Plane Crash

Piper Cherokee

Photo: Getty Images

SANTA MONICA (CNS) - The National Transportation Safety Board and other agencies Friday are investigating a plane crash that killed a flight instructor and student in an introductory flight when a small single-engine airplane crashed at Santa Monica Airport.

According to KCAL 9, the instructor worked at the Santa Monica-based flight school Santa Monica Flyers.

Fire crews and paramedics were called just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday to the airport on reports of the crash and found the aircraft down on the tarmac, according to the Santa Monica Fire Department.

"The aircraft was inbound to the airport when it touched down, and made an abrupt upward maneuver before crashing," the department said in a statement.

Paramedics pronounced both of the victims dead at the scene. Their names were not immediately released pending notification of relatives.

National Transportation Safety Board officials later confirmed the people aboard the single-engine, two-seat Piper Sport plane were a student and a flight instructor.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Firefighters were assisted by the Santa Monica Police Department, Santa Monica Airport Operations and NTSB. Nearby neighborhoods were not impacted by the plane crash, authorities said. Santa Monica Airport will be closed during the investigation and is anticipated to reopen Friday.

Information related to the investigation will be made available at www.ntsb.gov.


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