Both 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.
One of the planes crashed into a mountainous section of Malibu Creek State Park, killing the pilot and a passenger. This plane took off from SMO for an engine test flight just after 1:40 pm.
The other plane made an emergency landing on Westlake Village Golf Course with all three people on board surviving. This plane took off bound for Camarillo at 1:53 pm.
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 two victims who died in the crash have not been identified.
The FAA is continuing to investigate the incident.
