(L.A.) Ali Safai, 73, Died in a Ravine
Case Number: 2024-15939
Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 73-year-old White/Caucasian male that occurred at a ravine.
The coroner’s office has identified the man as Ali Safai of West Hills.
Manner of Death: Accident
Cause of Death: Blunt Trauma
RIP ALI REZA SAFAI (December 19, 1950 – October 8, 2024)
Formal pronouncement of death was made on Tuesday at 10:04 p.m.
The decedent was one of five people aboard a plane that crashed shortly after it departed from the Catalina Airport in Avalon. He was the registered owner of the plane. He was a flight instructor at Santa Monica Airport who ran Santa Monica Aviation before closing its doors in 2018.
A statement released Wednesday by Proteus Flight school, another Santa Monica airport business, said Safai still kept his plane at the airport and was helping Proteus members who were stranded on the island.
The pilot of a twin-engine plane was not given clearance at Catalina Airport to take off shortly before the plane crashed about a mile away, killing all five on board, an airport authority said Thursday.
The airport’s operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but pilots can arrive and depart after 5 p.m. before sunset so long as they pre-arrange with airport management, the airport’s general manager, Carl True, said.
“He pre-arranged for his arrival after 5 p.m.,” True said, “but not for the takeoff and he was advised of that.”
Three other people identified to have also perished were Gonzalo Lubel (34), Margarent Mary Fenner (55) and Haris Ali (33).