Catalina Island Plane Crash Claims Five Lives After Unapproved Night Takeoff

The pilot took off after dark without clearance, following a delay to recharge the plane's battery, according to a preliminary NTSB report.

The twin-engine Beechcraft 95 crashed shortly after 8 p.m. on October 8, killing all five people on board.
The plane attempted to take off from Catalina Island's airport, which prohibits night operations due to lack of lighting and safety personnel.
Pilot Ali Safai, 73, ignored warnings from the airport manager and proceeded with the unapproved takeoff after sunset.
The crash occurred about a mile from the runway, with the plane's wreckage found in a ravine after hitting a ridgeline.
The aircraft was picking up a flight instructor and two student pilots stranded on the island due to a separate plane malfunction.