Four Confirmed Dead In LA Apt. Crash | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-06.23.25

Airborne-NextGen-06.24.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.25.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.26.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.27.25

Sun, Jun 08, 2003

Four Confirmed Dead In LA Apt. Crash

Two More Bodies Found Saturday

The death toll in Friday's crash of a Beech Bonanza BE-35 into a Hollywood (CA) area apartment building has risen to four. Still, as if to keep stoking the potential for anti-GA frenzy; federal officials on the scene keep saying that it doesn't look like a terror attack--over and over again.

The search continues Sunday for clues as to why the Bonanza, which had just taken off from Santa Monica Airport, crashed at approximately 3:45 p.m. PDT. The pilot of the aircraft, flying VFR, conversed normally with the control tower at Santa Monica and was told to switch frequencies to talk with TRACON. He never showed up on the other frequency. Without explanation, the aircraft dove-nose first into the roof of the apartment complex.

"Huge Explosions"

Residents of the building in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles ran the gamut of emotions on Saturday. Many, like actor Larry McQullan, were still in shock as they tried to recover what was left of their lives from the burned-out building. "Big explosions shook the building - actually snapped off my door frames," he recalled. "I opened the door and there was fire toward the front of the hallway. We grabbed the dogs and got out."

Kevin Du Toit, who lived with his family in the apartment building, was ecstatic to have escaped with his loved ones. Du Toit says it's a miracle his children are even alive. "It's a great day. It's a blessing. It's a miracle, that's what it is," he said. "Because my kids should (have been) sleeping, and their bedroom is right next to where the plane went straight through."

Seven people have been hospitalized in the wake of the accident. The aircraft, which was consumed in the resulting explosion and fire, remains unidentified, as does the pilot and any passengers he may have had on board.

Sifting Through The Rubble

Rescue and recovery teams found what they think are the pilot's remains, along with one other body, Friday. Saturday, two more bodies were found buried deep within the rubble of the 14-unit apartment building. Although everyone thought to have been in the building at the time of the crash has been accounted for, LA Fire Department officials say they're continuing the search, on the off-chance they might have missed something.

FMI: http://www2.faa.gov/avr/aai/iirform

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Prelim: Piper PA-23

Pilot Also Reported That Due To A Fuel Leak, The Auxiliary Fuel Tanks Were Not Used On June 4, 2025, at 13:41 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23, N2109P, was substantially damage>[...]

ANN FAQ: Submit a News Story!

Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: One Man’s Vietnam

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Reflections on War’s Collective Lessons and Cyclical Nature The exigencies of war ought be colorblind. Inane social-constructs the likes of racis>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.03.25)

Aero Linx: Colorado Pilots Association (CPA) Colorado Pilots Association was incorporated as a Colorado Nonprofit Corporation in 1972. It is a statewide organization with over 700 >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.03.25): High Speed Taxiway

High Speed Taxiway A long radius taxiway designed and provided with lighting or marking to define the path of aircraft, traveling at high speed (up to 60 knots), from the runway ce>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC