Two Airplanes Collide Off Los Angeles; 3 Missing

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Key Takeaways:

  • Two single-engine airplanes, a Beechcraft Bonanza and a Citabria, collided off Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, prompting a Coast Guard search.
  • Three individuals were on board the planes (two men on the Bonanza, one woman on the Citabria); wreckage from the Bonanza, including a pilot's logbook, has been found.
  • Both aircraft were based at Torrance Airport and were believed to be in a common practice area when air traffic control (ATC) reportedly observed their radar targets merge.
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Coast Guard boats and divers are searching the waters off Los Angeles this morning after two single-engine airplanes collided Friday afternoon. The Coast Guard said the collision occurred about 3:30 p.m. in clear skies, The Associated Press reported. Two men, ages 61 and 81, were on board a Beechcraft Bonanza, and a woman, 72, was piloting the other airplane. That is believed to be a Citabria, according to KTLA 5, quoting an FAA spokesman.

The Bonanza wreckage has been found along with a pilot’s logbook, the AP reported. The two aircraft had flown from Torrance Airport to a commonly used practice area, according to media reports. Both aircraft were based at Torrance, according to various reports. ATC saw what was believed to be the collision when two radar targets came together, according to the AP report.

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