Small plane crashes upside down near Southern California auto parts store in Pacoima
Emergency crews responded to a plane crash in a San Fernando Valley parking lot on Monday morning, leaving the approximate 70-year-old pilot with critical injuries, according to authorities.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said the crash was reported around 11:08 a.m. near Ralston Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard in Pacoima, near the Whiteman Airport. High-voltage power lines were knocked down by the single-engine plane, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, as it came down.
Flight records show the plane was in the air for less than 10 minutes from Whiteman Airport before crashing in the parking lot.
LAFD Fire Captain Milo Cope said firefighters responded to a physical rescue, and crews were expecting a vehicle crash, not a plane crash. "When they came on scene, they saw high tension power lines that were rated up to 35,000 volts on the ground, and a Cessna Skyhawk flipped over on its top in the parking lot …"
Cellphone video from the scene shows good Samaritans lifting the wing of the plane, attempting to rescue the pilot.
Cope said rescue crews responded to an approximately 70-year-old man found outside the plane and transported him to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
The plane did not collide with anything else, outside the power lines. Aerial images showed the plane lying upside down in the parking lot of what appeared to be an O'Reilly Auto Parts store with heavy damage to its nose.
The store is just a few blocks away from Whiteman Airport. Los Angeles Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said the county-owned airport is poorly managed. "Since 2020, I have called for the closure of Whiteman Airport due to repeated plane crashes," Rodriguez said.
Whiteman Airport Coalition issued the following statement: "Whiteman Airport operates under strict federal safety standards, with rigorous requirements for pilot training, aircraft maintenance and flight operations."
The FAA is investigating the crash.
As of 10:30 p.m., city officials said that the area surrounding the crash was without power as the high voltage power lines were being repaired.
