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*Story by City News Service*

SANTA MONICA (CNS) - Authorities said they hoped to gain access today to
the fuselage of a private jet that crashed and burned at Santa Monica
Airport, killing all aboard.
Two cranes would be needed to lift wreckage of a hangar that collapsed
onto the airplane after it crashed into the structure and burst into flames,
Van McKenny of the National Transportation Safety Board said at a news
conference this afternoon at the airfield.
``We absolutely plan on being able to access the fuselage today,''
according to McKenny.
McKenny also said ``there was no communication (from) the pilot
indicating there was a problem with the aircraft at any time during the
flight.''
The twin-engine Cessna Citation, which had had taken off in Hailey,
Idaho, slammed into a hangar after veering off the runway around 6:20 p.m.
Sunday, causing the structure to collapse and sparking an explosive fire that
spread to two other hangars.
Capt. John Nevandro of the Santa Monica Fire Department said ``it was an
unsurvivable crash.''
How many people were aboard the eight-seat aircraft won't be determined
until the rubble on the aircraft is removed, authorities said.
Lt. Joseph Bale of the coroner's office said his office had no
information on the number of bodies. Cranes arrived at the hangar by mid-
afternoon, but no one could say when they would finish their work.
It was reported today that the president of a Santa Monica-based
construction company and his son apparently were aboard the private jet.
In a statement on the website of Santa Monica-based Morley Builders,
company vice president Charles Muttillo said, ``We are aware of a plane crash
at Santa Monica Airport last night. While we do not have specific facts, we
believe that our president and CEO, Mark Benjamin, and his son, Luke Benjamin,
a senior project engineer with us, were on board. We are unable to issue a
further statement at this time.''
According to McKenny, the airplane landed on the runway, veered and hit
a runway sign, and then hit the hangar.
Crews will have to shore up the roof of the hangar before workers can
enter the structure and examine the fuselage of the airplane. It was unclear
how long that would take, he said.
The runways at the airport remained closed this afternoon.
In a statement, the city of Santa Monica said the city ``is in the
process of evaluating potential options for the airport's future after the
expiration of the 1984 Settlement Agreement with the FAA in mid-2015.
``The City Council has directed staff to return to council in March of
2014. Options likely to be discussed then range from operational restrictions
or reductions to partial or full closure. However, any decisions about the
future of the airport will eventually be made within the context of a complex
jurisdictional and legal context.''

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