Plane rented from Santa Paula Airport involved in fatal collision over Malibu

August 25, 2004
Santa Paula News

Three people were killed when two small planes collided over a Malibu beach and although one victim involved in the accident had rented the airplane from CP Aviation at Santa Paula Airport, it is believed that the victim is not an area resident.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThree people were killed when two small planes collided over a Malibu beach and although one victim involved in the accident had rented the airplane from CP Aviation at Santa Paula Airport, it is believed that the victim is not an area resident.The accident occurred Sunday at about 5:30 p.m. near the Broad Beach area of Malibu and was witnessed by scores of people on the ground and in the water. Recreational kayakers first reported the crash and then helped recover parts of the floating wreckage.The two planes collided roughly 100 yards off El Matador State Beach, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman.One plane plunged into the ocean and the second came down in shallow water close to the beach area.The Santa Paula plane was Citabria 7ECA; the pilot washed up on shore. The second plane was a Thorp T-18 based in Torrance; both planes were two-seaters according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesman.
Rescue workers found the bodies of two people in the Thorp. Although initial reports were that the Citabria also carried two passengers, early Monday the NTSB announced that the pilot was the only person in the plane when it went down. Throughout Sunday night searchers – including the Coast Guard, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s emergency services dive team and county lifeguards had searched the water throughout the night for a second victim.The pilot of the Citabria had called the FAA for a weather briefing before taking off from Santa Paula Airport. He called again later for weather data on Agua Dulce in Los Angeles County.Visibility was excellent along the scenic coastal route used heavily by pilots.The names of the victims had not been released as of press time Monday.



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