Former Santa Monica mayor Rex Minter ID’d as plane crash victim

[Oxman]

Former Santa Monica mayor Rex Minter ID’d as plane crash victim

A passenger who died after a small plane crashed onto the Santa Monica beach has been identified as the city’s former mayor, 95-year-old Rex Minter, officials confirmed.

nypost.com

A passenger who died after a small plane crashed onto Santa Monica beach Thursday has been identified as the city’s former mayor, 95-year-old Rex Minter, officials confirmed.

The plane landed upside down along the shore just after 3:15 p.m. after only nine minutes in the air, and both the pilot and Minter — who were the only two on board — were hospitalized, authorities said.

The City of Santa Monica said Friday that Minter died from his injuries.

“The City is grateful for Mr. Minter’s public service and we join his family in mourning his passing. Flags in front of City Hall will be lowered to half-staff and a City Council meeting in the new year will be adjourned in honor of Minter’s service,” city officials said in a statement.

Minter was a passenger in the single-engine Cessna that took off from Santa Monica Airport heading towards Malibu, CBS Los Angeles reported.

According to a flight recording, the pilot reported engine trouble. He attempted to turn back around to the airport but opted to try an emergency landing on the shore instead, according to the news outlet.

In a recording obtained by KTTV-TV, air traffic control warns the pilot that “landing on the beach will be at your own risk.”

“I wish I had another choice,” the pilot replied.

The plane smashed into the surf near Venice Beach’s basketball and tennis courts in front of dozens of people, according to Los Angeles County lifeguards. The crash site is roughly 3 miles from Santa Monica Airport and located within the takeoff corridor.


Dramatic footage from Santa Monica’s Ocean Front Walk shows the plane fly past the famous pier while quickly descending above sunbathers dipping their feet in the water.

The plane forcefully lands in the shallow waters and its tail bounces over the nose before coming to an immediate landing on its back, the video shows.

Firefighters removed two people from the upside-down plane, one of them in cardiac arrest, authorities said. The pilot’s condition is unknown.

Minter was elected to the Santa Monica’s council in 1955 and served as mayor from 1963 to 1967, according to the city. He later served as City Attorney for Arcadia, and as a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

He and his wife Doris met at Santa Monica High School before he served in the U.S. Marines and opened up a law practice in Santa Monica after graduating from law school, the city said.

Current Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis said that she had spoken with Minter’s family and relayed the city’s condolences.

 

[Wardogg]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1606087492544778241

 

[NovemberEcho]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1606087492544778241

I feel like he picked the worst possible part of that massive beach to put her down

 

[Wardogg]

I feel like he picked the worst possible part of that massive beach to put her down

I hate to second guess a guy running out of airspeed and ideas, but it looks like just a little left and he would have had a clear shot to the sand without any people instead of breaking water with too much energy. Tough call. Condolences to the former Mayor's family.

 

[fholbert]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1606087492544778241

Looks like he’s trailing smoke or fuel in the video.

 

[mightynimbus]

I hate to second guess a guy running out of airspeed and ideas, but it looks like just a little left and he would have had a clear shot to the sand without any people instead of breaking water with too much energy. Tough call. Condolences to the former Mayor's family.

And so many beach and other options from the turn back point.
Sad outcome

N7032X Flight Tracking and History - FlightAware

Track N7032X flight from Santa Monica Muni to Santa Monica, CA

flightaware.com

 

[ahw01]

Sad. KSMO is already consigned to history unfortunately

 

[Wardogg]

And so many beach and other options from the turn back point.
Sad outcome

N7032X Flight Tracking and History - FlightAware

Track N7032X flight from Santa Monica Muni to Santa Monica, CA

flightaware.com

It is very interesting to put that data into Google Earth and watch it unfold for their point of view.

 

[mightynimbus]

It is very interesting to put that data into Google Earth and watch it unfold for their point of view.

I never noticed that option to see on Google Earth before, I was able to get as far as a KML file in downloads and seeing a track on google earth, but not a cockpit view, the type is so tiny I need some 2.5's to see that and figure out how to make that play from KML file, but great tip that it an option.

 

[Wardogg]

I never noticed that option to see on Google Earth before, I was able to get as far as a KML file in downloads and seeing a track on google earth, but not a cockpit view, the type is so tiny I need some 2.5's to see that and figure out how to make that play from KML file, but great tip that it an option.

It is a little wonky but there is a timeline slider up in the upper left. I just kind of step through the timeline it doesn't really loop that I can tell. And then position the camera as close to them at the same POV they would have had.

 

[FlyingAccountant]

Looks survivable, but he was a 95 year old man, so I'm guessing it likely triggered a heart attack?

So, what's the better play here? Aiming for the beach and risking a flip over or hitting a bystander or going for the shallow surf and potentially risk drowning?

 

[inigo88]

So, what's the better play here? Aiming for the beach and risking a flip over or hitting a bystander or going for the shallow surf and potentially risk drowning?

I’m glad you brought this up, because in southern CA depending on the time of day, the beaches and freeways (some of the most common emergency landing spots in other areas) can be the most congested here. So if you choose beach now you’re aiming for the surf line to try to split the difference between the people on the dry sand and the deeper water (and hopefully the wet sand is harder packed so you don’t sink in but not too wet so you’re hitting water and flipping like this video). Despite pilots’ best efforts I recall an emergency landing a while back where a woman jogging on the beach was killed. (I think it was this one)

On the topic of aiming for freeways as another common emergency landing spot, southern CA freeways during rush hour are so congested there are probably more people per square foot than if you just aimed directly for a residential neighborhood of single-family homes. I asked a CFI friend whom I deeply respect about what do to do in this case assuming you don’t have another field made, thinking I must be missing something obvious, and he said “that’s when I start thinking about aiming for soft things, like trees!”

 

[Murdoughnut]

Looks survivable, but he was a 95 year old man, so I'm guessing it likely triggered a heart attack?

So, what's the better play here? Aiming for the beach and risking a flip over or hitting a bystander or going for the shallow surf and potentially risk drowning?

My understanding is that the connective tissues surrounding the major organs of old ass folks isn’t terribly strong. This came from discussion related to that WW2 fighter that went down on departure in California not long ago. Accident looked relatively tame, but the pax in the rear seat was old as balls and passed, unfortunately.

 

[Roger Roger]

If at 95 I’m still limber enough to pretzel into a 150 I’ll take going that way over marinating in my own • in a nursing home bed

 

[mightynimbus]

I’m glad you brought this up, because in southern CA depending on the time of day, the beaches and freeways (some of the most common emergency landing spots in other areas) can be the most congested here. So if you choose beach now you’re aiming for the surf line to try to split the difference between the people on the dry sand and the deeper water (and hopefully the wet sand is harder packed so you don’t sink in but not too wet so you’re hitting water and flipping like this video). Despite pilots’ best efforts I recall an emergency landing a while back where a woman jogging on the beach was killed. (I think it was this one)

On the topic of aiming for freeways as another common emergency landing spot, southern CA freeways during rush hour are so congested there are probably more people per square foot than if you just aimed directly for a residential neighborhood of single-family homes. I asked a CFI friend whom I deeply respect about what do to do in this case assuming you don’t have another field made, thinking I must be missing something obvious, and he said “that’s when I start thinking about aiming for soft things, like trees!”

Probably could have taken that top home for a nice Christmas Tree