At least one of the two planes that crashed into each other mid-flight above the Santa Monica Mountains on Monday afternoon took off from Santa Monica Airport.
Two Cessna 172s collided at 2:01 pm Monday about eight miles east-northeast of Ventura.
The LA Times reports the pilot of the plane that fatally crashed into a mountainous section of Malibu Creek State Park took off from SMO for an engine test flight, adding the pilot was the only person on board.
The other plane carrying three people were treated for minor injuries after it made an emergency landing on Westlake Village Golf Course.
According to reports, this plane bore markings of American Flyers, a pilot-training school based at Santa Monica Airport, but the company was not making any comment on whether it was one of its planes.
The accident comes the eve of the Santa Monica City Council’s special meeting tonight to discuss the future of SMO at 5:30 pm at City Hall.
