A single-engine airplane crashed on Santa Catalina Island on Thursday afternoon, leaving two people dead and raising fresh questions about flying in and out of the island’s notoriously tricky airstrips.
L.A. County Fire units responded at about 12:23 p.m. after a report of an aircraft emergency on the island. Officials did not immediately identify the victims or release the plane’s origin or registration.
According to the L.A. County Fire Department, crews arriving at the scene located a crashed single-engine plane and two fatalities. The department listed the response time as roughly 12:23 p.m. and did not provide additional details about the aircraft or who was aboard. County or federal agencies had not released further information as of Thursday night.
Catalina’s terrain and past accidents
The island’s rugged terrain and short, exposed airstrips have long complicated general-aviation operations. Catalina Airport, commonly called the “Airport in the Sky,” sits around 1,600 feet above sea level. The field and its surrounding canyons drew renewed scrutiny after a separate crash in October 2024 that killed five people, as reported by LAist. Emergency responses to crashes on the island can be slowed by limited on-island resources and difficult access…