PACOIMA (CNS) – A small plane crashed while landing at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima Tuesday, sending its pilot to a hospital after the aircraft came to rest in the facility’s parking lot.
The downed single-engine plane was reported at 9:11 a.m. Tuesday in the area of 12653 W. Osborne St., just beyond the end of the embattled airfield’s runway, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The pilot was extricated and assessed at the scene, but was found to have only minor injuries, a department spokeswoman said.
The man initially declined hospital transport, but later went to a hospital for further evaluation, an LAFD public information officers told reporters at the airport.
Crews reported a five-gallon fuel spill that was contained with no active fire.
The latest crash at the airport comes less than a month after quarterly pilot seminars and upgrades to runway pavement and markings were among the recommendations in a Los Angeles County staff report detailing ways to bolster safety at Whiteman, where a series of crashes in recent years has renewed questions about the facility’s future.
About an hour after the crash, the Whiteman Airport Coalition released a statement that said the plane safely landed on the runway but the landing gear did not deploy properly and the aircraft barreled through a perimeter fence before coming to a stop.
“The pilot was injured but was able to walk away from the aircraft,” the coalition statement said. “Thankfully, no one else was injured.”
“Most importantly, the incident remained entirely on airport grounds and posed no danger to surrounding neighborhoods or nearby residents,” the statement continued.
On May 5, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath directing staff to prepare a report on immediate steps the county could potentially take to improve safety at the airport.
The request came following an April 20 crash of a Cessna 172 small aircraft that struck a power pole while en route to the airport, knocking down power lines and leaving the plane overturned in the parking lot of an auto parts store. The pilot survived but was critically injured.
The county Department of Public Works submitted the report to the board. The top recommendation in the document called for the county to sponsor quarterly pilot safety seminars.
The report also proposed maintenance on runway and taxiway pavement at the airport, although it stressed that runways and taxiways are currently “safe, functional and satisfy FAA maintenance and design standards.”
But Public Works officials suggested rehabilitation of about 554,500 square feet of pavement, including crack-sealing, slurry sealing and new pavement markings.
“Ultimately, these improvements would enhance the airport’s primary aircraft movement areas and help ensure that runway and taxiway pavements and markings remain in a state of good repair consistent with FAA maintenance and design standards,” according to the report.
The project was estimated to cost about $5 million.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to hold a discussion on the report, according to Horvath’s office.
The cause of the April 20 crash remains under investigation by federal officials.
In early 2022, the Board of Supervisors voted to explore the process involved in seeking a closure of the airport, should the county opt to pursue it. In January of that year, a plane landed on train tracks in the area and was struck by a Metrolink train. In November 2020, a plane crashed in a neighborhood near the runway, killing a Civil Air Patrol pilot.
In April 2022, a pilot died when a Cessna crashed alongside the Foothill (210) Freeway in the Sylmar area.
But while some area residents have pushed for the airport’s closure, supporters of the facility have insisted it plays a critical role in local aviation and can only be shuttered by the FAA — not the county.
“As always, the appropriate authorities will investigate the incident and determine exactly what occurred,” according to the airport coalition’s statement following Tuesday’s crash landing. “Today’s events highlight the importance of continuing to invest in safety at Whiteman Airport. We support the county’s recommendation to pursue federal funding for improvements such as pilot education, airfield safety enhancement, and community engagement. These are the kinds of investments that help strengthen safety for everyone who relies on the airport and lives nearby.”
The Whiteman Airport Coalition, formed in response to moves to close the airport, is made up of pilots, business owners and public safety advocates who aim to provide the public with information about the facility’s future.
LA City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, whose Seventh Council District includes the airport, slammed county officials for not taking “meaningful” action regarding the airport thus far.
“This morning’s plane crash at Whiteman Airport reminds us of the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It’s shameful that the county has taken no meaningful action to protect our community after these repeated accidents which threaten our community’s safety,” Rodriguez said in a statement issued shortly after the crash.
“I am thankful to the first responders who acted quickly and relieved that the pilot was safely extricated. I will continue to monitor this situation closely and continue to fight for accountability and the safety of Pacoima residents,” she added.
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