New details of the fatal plane crash off the coast of Southern California have emerged

A new report by federal officials reveals what happened in the run-up to a plane crash on a Southern California island that killed all five people on board after it took off in the dark despite not having permission to do so.

The twin engine Beechcraft 95 crashed He was trying to take off at 8 p.m. Tuesday from Santa Catalina Island Airport near Avalon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The airport does not allow flights after sunset because it is not equipped for night operations. Airport manager previously said that until the pilot received permission, the takeoff was not considered illegal.

A preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane first landed at the Catalina Island airport at 6:20 p.m. to pick up a flight instructor and two student pilots who were stranded after their charter plane left the order

The airport manager told the pilot that he had to take off before sunset at 6:31 p.m. As the pilot tried to take off with his new passengers, the plane’s right engine wouldn’t start due to insufficient battery power, so they had to get out and connect the engine to a charger, according to the report.

The airport manager told the pilot that because the charging time would push the departure time past sunset, they would not be cleared for takeoff. The pilot said he needed to take off anyway, the report said.

“The airport manager informed him that although he would not be able to stop him, his departure would be unauthorized and at his own risk,” the report said.

According to the report, airport security footage shows the plane taking off during a “dark night” when it was impossible to tell whether the plane was airborne or not before reaching the end of the runway.

The plane crashed with the landing gear extended onto a ridge about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) southwest of the end of the runway, according to the report. The main debris ended up in a ravine about 450 feet (137 meters) west of the initial point of fall.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was registered to Ali Safai, 73, of Los Angeles. He was a former flight instructor and founder of a flight school that closed in 2018.

He died in the crash along with Gonzalo Lubel, 34; Haris Ali, 33; Joeun Park, 37; and Margaret Mary Fenner, 55, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

The airport is known as the Airport in the Sky because of its precarious location at an elevation of 1,602 feet (488 meters) on an island about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off the coast of Los Angeles. It is known to be difficult to land and take off on, as well as this place previous failures.

The airport has one runway, 3,000 feet (914 meters) long, which is not equipped with lighting.