Politics & Government

City of Santa Monica 'Deeply Saddened' By Tragic Plane Crash

The City offered its condolences to the families of those killed.

The following is an excerpt from a statement issued by the City of Santa Monica in the wake of Sunday evening's crash that killed four people. 

The City is deeply saddened by the tragic accident of September 29, 2013 at Santa Monica Airport. Our condolences go out to the families of the victims.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a full investigation of the accident and will release a report. We have no information yet on the cause of the accident. No emergency was declared prior to the accident.

On September 29, 2013 a twin engine Cessna Citation jet crashed after landing at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) at approximately 6:20 p.m. The jet left Hailey, Idaho and flew to SMO with passengers. The plane landed from the east and veered right as it approached the western half of the runway. It crashed into a set of four hangars located in the airport’s northwest corner and erupted into flames. The roof of the hanger collapsed onto the plane. 

We praise the Santa Monica Fire Department’s quick response to the scene. The Fire Department arrived within three minutes of the initial call from the Airport. The fire was knocked down within 50 minutes from the time of the first arriving unit.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The City is in the process of evaluating potential options for the Airport’s future after the expiration of the 1984 Settlement Agreement with the FAA in mid-2015. The City Council has directed staff to return to Council in March of 2014. Options likely to be discussed then range from operational restrictions or reductions to partial or full closure. However, any decisions about the future of the airport will eventually be made within the context of a complex jurisdictional and legal context.


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