AVIATION ACCIDENT: Plane Crash during Take-Off Kills Five of Six Occupants

March 16, 2011

Long Beach – Five people died at the scene and one was taken to a hospital as a small plane crashes shortly after take-off from Long Beach Airport Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air plane, owned by a Los Angeles-based corporation, was said to be heading to Salt Lake City when witnesses say the plane appeared to be circling back to the airport and crashed about 10:30 am.

Reports show that the three people killed were identified as Jeff Berger, Tom Dean, and Mark Bixby. The pilot and the fifth person were not immediately identified.

The sixth person in the plane, Mike Jensen remained in critical condition.

The Federal Aviation Administration is yet to determine the cause of the accident.