Paulo Emanuele, general manager of Airliners.net, died in a plane crash on Wednesday, January 28 at 5 p.m. as he attempted a takeoff from the Santa Monica Airport. The Pacific Palisades resident and father of a teenage daughter was piloting a red, two-seat Marchetti F260 when he lost power and then attempted to return to the airport. According to media reports, the plane went down at the west end of the runway and burst into flames, killing Emanuele, 46, and his passenger Martin Schaedel, 23, a Swedish business development consultant for the Web company www.farecompare.com. No one on the ground was hurt. Eyewitness reports say that the plane may have encountered engine failure before crashing nose first into the runway. Following the crash, the airport was closed for takeoffs and landings. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident. A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was registered to Malibu-based Wingspan. The Web site that Emanuele managed, www.Airliners.net, has more than a million photographs of every type of airplane, including pictures of airplanes used by airlines that are no longer in business. There’s a dedication page on that site, with the following tribute to Emanuele: ‘He will be remembered for his passion, his kindness, and his love for life. Paulo was an amazing pilot, an amazing photographer, an amazing friend, and an amazing father.’ A memorial for Emanuele was held at Corpus Christi Church on Tuesday this week.
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