Death
Tomarken, a private pilot, and his second wife, Kathleen, were killed when his Beechcraft Bonanza A36, N16JR, crashed a few hundred feet off shore in Santa Monica Bay during climb-out from the Santa Monica Airport in California on the morning of March 13, 2006.
The aircraft had engine trouble shortly after takeoff and Tomarken attempted to turn back to the airport before crashing into Santa Monica Bay. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the crash could have been survivable if they had been wearing shoulder harnesses along with their seat belts.
The Tomarkens, who were volunteers with Angel Flight West, a non-profit organization that provides free air transportation to needy medical patients, were en route to San Diego to pick up a cancer patient who needed transportation to UCLA Medical Center for treatment. The charity has since set up the Tomarken Heroes Fund in memory of the couple.
Tomarken and his wife are buried in the same plot at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Read more about this topic: Peter Tomarken
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