A new report from federal officials has revealed what happened leading up to a plane crash on a Southern California island that killed all five people aboard took off in the dark despite not having clearance to do so.
The twin-engine Beechcraft 95 crashed as it was attempting to take off shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday from Santa Catalina Island’s airport near the city of Avalon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The airport does not allow flights after sunset because it is not equipped for nighttime operations. The airport manager previously said that while the pilot was not given clearance, the takeoff was not considered illegal….