Another 2 Bodies Identified in Santa Monica Plane Crash

The Los Angeles County coroner's office today identified two more of the four people killed in a private jet crash at Santa Monica Airport.

Earlier, the coroner's office released the name of 28-year-old Lauren Winkler as one of the victims.

The office now has identified Mark Benjamin, a 63-year-old Malibu resident, and 53-year-old San Diego resident Kyla Dupont as two more crash victims, coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

The twin-engine Cessna Citation 525A, which took off in Hailey, Idaho, slammed into a hangar after veering off the runway about 6:20 p.m. Sunday as it landed, causing the structure to collapse and sparking an explosive fire that spread to two other hangars.

Benjamin, president of Santa Monica-based Morley Builders, was believed to have been at the controls. According to the company,  Benjamin's 28-year-old son Luke also died in the crash, but Luke Benjamin's identity has not been confirmed by the county coroner's office.

Santa Monica City Manager Rod Gould said: “We mourn all of the victims lost in the tragic aircraft accident of September 29, 2013. Mark Benjamin is well known to the City of Santa Monica. He was a treasured member of our community as a corporate and community leader as well as a generous philanthropist ...

"Under Mark Benjamin’s leadership Morley Builders has been a tremendous partner for the City in constructing major projects benefitting the community and the region such as our beloved Main Library, the Big Blue Bus Maintenance Facility, Parking Structure 6, and the Douglas DC-3 Spirit of Santa Monica Memorial. I extend my condolences to the employees of Morley Builders and feel their loss at this tragic time.” 

Benjamin supported several community organizations including the Ocean Park Community Center, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation, the Santa Monica-Malibu schools, the Westside Family Health Center, the Santa Monica History Museum, and the Santa Monica Police Activities League.