by Brian Bland, FOSP board member

Two people died in the crash of a two-seat, single-engine propeller aircraft at Santa Monica Airport on Wednesday evening, just past 5 p.m. Both people aboard the plane were killed. No one on the ground was hurt.

Airport Director Bob Trimborn says the Marchetti aircraft had just taken off toward the west when it crashed onto the runway, about 1,000 feet from the western end of the airport property.

One eyewitness said he watched the plane as it climbed because he heard its engine sputtering.

“Then the engine went completely silent,” said Loren Drake, who had been standing on 25th Street at Hill, across from Clover Park. He said the plane rolled to its left, then went straight down from perhaps 600 feet up. The plane exploded into flames on impact.

The plane was based at Santa Monica Airport, Trimborn said. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration representatives were at the crash site, he said.

Regarding the identities of the victims, Trimborn said the names would be released by the L.A. County Coroner.

The airport was closed to air traffic after the crash. Trimborn said it would reopen only after the wreckage was removed, but he could not estimate when that would happen.
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From: Bob.Trimborn@SMGOV.NET
Sent: 1/28/2009 9:02:47 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: Aircraft Accident

Tonight at approximately 5:03 p.m., an aircraft accident occurred involving a two seat, piston-powered single engine Marchetti SF-260 aircraft. The aircraft departed the Santa Monica Airport to the west on Runway 21. The pilot and passenger died in the accident. Santa Monica Fire Department, Santa Monica Police Department, Airport Service Officers and Airport Operations staff immediately responded to the scene of the accident. The Airport was immediately closed and will remain closed until such time until the NTSB and FAA and LA County Coroner have completed their on-site investigation.. The aircraft is locally based at the Santa Monica Airport. The names of the pilot and passenger have not been released by the LA County Coroner.