THREE BODIES RECOVERED FOLLOWING MIDAIR CRASH TWO PLANES CRIPPLED IN COLLISION OFF EL MATADOR STATE BEACH.Byline: Dana Bartholomew and Eric Leach Staff Writers MALIBU - Two small planes collided off Malibu on Sunday before spiraling into the surf, officials said. Three people were killed. The two aircraft crashed in the air about 5:30 p.m. off El Matador matador In bullfighting, the principal performer, who works the capes and attempts to dispatch the bull with a sword thrust between the shoulder blades. Most of the techniques used by modern matadors were established in the 1910s by Juan Belmonte (b. 1894–d. State Beach, about two miles north of Zuma Beach, fire officials said. ``One plane crashed on the shoreline; the other crashed in the water about 100 yards offshore, in 15 feet of water,'' said Capt. Mark Savage of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La . ``One victim was ejected from the aircraft and landed on the beach. Some remains of a person from the other aircraft landed on the beach as well.'' One plane, an experimental Thorp T-18 from Torrance, was carrying two people as it plunged into a kelp bed offshore, said Donn Walker of the Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control . An aerobatic Citabria 7ECA ECA See: Export Credit Agency from Santa Paula Santa Paula (săn`tə pôl`ə), city (1990 pop. 25,062), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Santa Clara River in a fertile valley that yields citrus fruits, avocados, vegetables, flowers, nursery products, and walnuts; laid out 1875, inc. with one person aboard crashed into the surf, officials said. Early reports suggested two people were on the plane. Divers found two bodies inside the Thorp, Walker said. A body from the Citabria washed ashore, and rescue crews were searching for a possible fourth victim. ``It is inconceivable to think there are survivors,'' he said. Walker said the Thorp pilot had called the FAA for a weather briefing before flying out of Santa Paula and called back for weather data on Agua Dulce Agua Dulce is Spanish for "sweet water". It also refers to various locations: In Mexico:
Two good Samaritans suffered minor injuries as they dragged the Citabria onto the beach, fire officials said. The names of the victims were not available. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, assisted by the FAA. Witnesses told KTTV (Channel 11) news the two planes appeared to be flying together, and that after they collided they spiraled toward the sea before a fiery Malibu sunset. ``We heard this bang,'' said Peter Colley of Woodland Hills, who was boogie boarding during the collision. Colley told the Daily News that ``we looked up and saw one aircraft spiraling toward the water with part of one wing broken off. ``It's sad that such a nice day would end like this.'' Gene Blevins contributed to this story. Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Rescuers secure wreckage of an airplane at the water's edge in Malibu on Sunday, after a midair crash off El Matador State Beach. Michael Owen
(2) One of the two small planes crippled in a midair collision plunges into the ocean off Malibu on Sunday. Evan Guston/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion