NTSB: Pilot Ignored Night Takeoff Warning in Fatal Catalina Crash

Incident unfolded after a flight instructor and two student pilots became stranded at the airport due to a magneto malfunction in their rental aircraft.

Amelia Walsh

Friday, November 08, 2024 at 04:05 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Catalina Airport (KAVX), also known as the Airport in the Sky. [Photo: Jeff Berlin]

Key Takeaways:

A fatal Beechcraft crash occurred at Catalina Airport (KAVX) after the pilot disregarded explicit warnings against taking off after dark from the unlit runway.
The pilot, attempting to retrieve stranded individuals, encountered an engine restart issue and proceeded with takeoff around 8:04 p.m., well after the 6:31 p.m. sundown deadline.
Security footage and flight data indicate the aircraft descended shortly after takeoff, maintaining low altitude before crashing into a ravine.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.

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Investigators released new details surrounding the fatal crash of a Beechcraft 95-B55 at Catalina Airport (KAVX) in California on October 8, revealing that the pilot ignored warnings about not taking off after dark.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report states that the incident unfolded after a flight instructor and two student pilots became stranded at Catalina due to a magneto malfunction in their rental aircraft. They contacted the flight school, and another aircraft was dispatched from Santa Monica Municipal Airport (KSMO) to pick them up.