Mon, Jun 09, 2003
Body Found May Have Been Passenger In BE-36
Recovery crews sifting through a 14-unit apartment building
where a Beech BE-36 crashed in Los Angeles have found a fifth body
in the rubble. Coroner's Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said, like three of
the other victims, the body found Saturday was believed to be that
of a passenger aboard the six-place aircraft. One other victim
whose body was found after Friday's crash was thought to have lived
on one of the building's upper floors.
Pilot Identified
While authorities still haven't released the names
of those killed in the crash, the Los Angeles Times reports the
pilot of the Beechcraft was Jeffrey T. Siegel, owner of a
construction company in Santa Monica. Family members said Siegel
and his niece, Jessica Kaplan, 24, were headed for their vacation
home in Sun Valley (ID). Siegel's widow, Judy Gantz Siegel called
her husband a "very skilled pilot" who had flown since he was a
teen. She said he recently acquired the BE-36. "He had the ability
to land the plane if it malfunctioned," Mrs. Siegel said. "I can't
believe it. I want to hear an explanation of what happened. He is
such a good pilot." Siegel's body was found deep underneath the
apartment complex on top of a car, next to the burning wreckage of
his aircraft.
The aircraft left a crater in the center of the apartment
building when it crashed about seven minutes after take-off from
Santa Monica Airport (CA). Siegel had reportedly conversed with the
control tower there, been advised to switch frequencies to talk to
TRACON, but never made the transition. Witnesses say the aircraft's
engine made unusual noises just before it plunged into the
Hollywood-area apartment building. Seven other people were hurt.
One remains hospitalized.
** Report created 6/9/2003 Record
11 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 1856P
Make/Model: BE36 Description: 36
Bonanza
Date: 06/06/2003 Time: 2255
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: SANTA MONICA State: CA
Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT ON DEPARTURE, CRASHED INTO AN APARTMENT BUILDING AND
WAS DESTROYED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD
WERE FATALLY INJURIED AND UNKNOWN PERSONS IN THE BUILDING WERE
FATALLY INJURIED, OTHER INJURIES TO THOSE ON THE GROUND ARE
UNKNOWN, OCCURRED 6 MILES NE OF SANTA MONICA, CA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal:
4
# Crew: 2 Fat:
2 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat:
2 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: Y
WEATHER: SMO 1551PDT 26010KT 10SM OVC031
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase:
Take-off Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: SANTA MONICA,
CA
Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: SUN VALLEY,
ID Flt
Plan: VFR Wx
Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: 6 MI NE OF SMO ARPT
Last Clearance: CLRD FOR TAKEOFF
FAA FSDO: LOS ANGELES, CA
(WP23)
Entry date: 06/09/2003
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