Former Santa Monica mayor dies in plane crash
A veteran California politician was killed after his small plane crash-landed on a Santa Monica beach, authorities said.
Rex Minter, a former mayor of Santa Monica and once a Los Angeles County judge, was a passenger aboard the single-engine Cessna when it went down on Thursday around 3 p.m., 10 minutes after takeoff from the Santa Monica Airport. He was headed for Malibu.
Video shows the aircraft slamming into the beach just south of the Santa Monica Pier and then flipping over in the sand.
The pilot was freed from the wreckage and taken to a nearby hospital while Minter was pronounced dead at the scene. The tragedy was confirmed in a tweet by current Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis on Thursday evening.
Just ahead of the violent crash, the pilot informed air traffic controllers he would not be able to reach the nearest airport due to engine troubles.
“Emergency,” the pilot said in radio recordings obtained by CBS Los Angeles. “We have two souls on board. The engine is running very, very rough.”
Born in 1927, Minter served as Mayor of Santa Monica from 1963 to 1967, following a stint on the city council to which he was elected in 1955. He also served in the United States Marine Corps prior to his law career.
He went on to become the City Attorney for Arcadia and was a judge for Los Angeles County Superior Court.
According to a statement released, Minter “was active in the Santa Monica Rotary Club and, along with his wife, was an avid aviator.”
“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,” the statement said.