Daniel Sarner, 51, and Robert Cox, 54, both of Southern California, were killed when their 2014 Solaris Aviation Sling 2 airplane crashed into a remote rugged ravine on the south side of Santa Catalina Island near Avalon in Los Angeles County on Thursday April 9 2026.
The single-engine light sport aircraft took off from Zamperini Field in Torrance at 10:53 a.m. and was last tracked near Avalon at 11:13 a.m. before it went down around 12:30 p.m. in mountainous terrain southwest of the island’s main town in an area that was difficult for rescuers to reach quickly.
The plane had been flying a route from the mainland toward Catalina Island with no radio indication from the pilot that an emergency was unfolding or that a landing at the island’s Airport in the Sky was intended. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft following a typical path over the water before it disappeared from radar in the vicinity of Salta Verde Point and Divide Road on the island’s rugged southern coastline.
Both Daniel Sarner and Robert Cox were pronounced dead at the scene after Los Angeles County paramedics reached the wreckage in the remote ravine on Catalina Island’s south side. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled both deaths the result of accidental blunt force trauma. The aircraft came to rest in a heavily wooded and inaccessible area far from roads or the island’s airport making recovery operations complex and requiring specialized teams to extract the remains.
The crash of the Sling 2 light sport plane occurred in a part of Catalina Island known for its steep terrain and limited accessibility southwest of Avalon where the aircraft impacted the ground after descending from its last known position near the island.
No distress call was reported and investigators have noted the pilot gave no indication of heading toward any landing facility on the island. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have launched a joint investigation into the circumstances including mechanical factors weather and flight path leading up to the 12:30 p.m. impact.
Catalina Island residents and the broader Southern California aviation community have expressed shock over the loss of the two men in the remote ravine crash on the south side of the island near Avalon. The incident has highlighted the risks of flying small aircraft over the channel and into the island’s mountainous interior where rescue access can be delayed by rugged conditions. Friends and family have begun sharing memories of Sarner and Cox as the island and mainland communities come together in mourning the April 9, 2026 tragedy.
The NTSB and FAA continue their on-scene examination of the wreckage in the ravine southwest of Avalon on Catalina Island while the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has completed its identification and cause-of-death determinations for Daniel Sarner and Robert Cox.
Authorities have asked anyone with information about the flight or the aircraft’s final moments to contact investigators. The probe remains active as officials work to determine what led to the fatal crash of the Sling 2 that departed Zamperini Field earlier that morning.
