Five people on a small plane that went down on Catalina Island Tuesday night were killed in the crash, officials confirmed Wednesday.
The Avalon Sheriff Station received an S.O.S. emergency notification from a cellphone that had been involved in a collision with possible injuries shortly after 8 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated. The notification provided authorities with GPS coordinates, allowing deputies to respond to the location along with firefighters and Avalon Search and Rescue personnel.
The plane is believed to have taken off from Santa Monica Municipal Airport and landed at the Catalina Airport about 30 miles off the Los Angeles County coast at around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The plane took off again at around 8 p.m., but it was unclear where it was headed. That's when authorities received the emergency alert.
Frist responders found a crashed, twin-engine aircraft about a mile from the airport on Catalina Island in rough, steep terrain.
Five adults were found dead at the scene. Their identities were not yet confirmed as of Wednesday morning.
(Photo Getty Images)
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