Plane Crash in Catalina Island kills 3
February 6, 2009
Santa Catalina Island, California - A man and female companion were killed along with their pilot after their small airplane crashed last Thursday afternoon.
Mark Hogland, the pilot of the Bonanza aircraft with tail number N66819, was last seen leaving the island along with two passengers, Marshall Goldberg, 39, and a 25-year-old woman, around 4:50 p.m., U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Stephanie Young said.
The wreckage of the plane was found on Friday at around 10:30 a.m., county fire Capt. Mike Brown said.
The small plane evidently crashed and burned minutes after it took off in a rainstorm and the wreckage was spotted by searchers in aircraft on the west side of the island, according to sheriff's Sgt. John Hudson of the Avalon Station.
Young said that the plane was set to land at John Wayne Airport in Orange County at around 5 p.m. Thursday but did not arrive, prompting Hogland's fiancé to inform the authorities at 10:30 p.m.
The identity of the woman is not being released until her family can be notified.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.