A preliminary report for the Sept. 29 Santa Monica Airport accident that claimed four lives has been released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The preliminary report said the Cessna 525A Citation, N194SJ, veered off the right side of runway 21 at 6:20 pm and collided with a hangar.
“Witnesses reported observing the airplane make a normal approach and landing,” the preliminary report said. “The airplane traveled down the right side of the runway, eventually veered off the runway, impacted the 1,000-foot runway distance remaining sign, continued to travel in a right-hand turn, and impacted a hangar structural post with the right wing. The airplane came to rest inside the hangar and the damage to the hangar structure caused the roof to collapse onto the airplane. A post-accident fire quickly ensued.”
The preliminary report said on-scene examination of the wreckage and runway revealed that there was no airplane debris on the runway.
“The three landing gear tires were inflated and exhibited no unusual wear patterns,” the preliminary report said. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) control tower local controller reported that the pilot did not express over the radio any problems prior to or during the landing.”
The preliminary report said the airplane was registered to CREX-MML LLC, and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91 flight.
“Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan,” the preliminary report read.
The four people on board were 63-year-old registered private jet pilot Mark Benjamin, of Malibu, 28-year-old Luke Benjamin, 53-year-old Kyla Dupont, of San Diego, and 28-year-old Lauren Winkler, of Irvine.
