A pilot was hospitalized Monday after crashing his small single-engine plane in the parking lot of an auto-parts store in Pacoima, according to authorities.
The crash was reported shortly after 11 a.m. near the intersection of San Fernando Road and Van Nuys Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police and fire crews at the scene shut down Van Nuys from Ralston Avenue to San Fernando Road because of power lines that were knocked down by the plane.
Photos of the crash show a plane upside down with debris scattered in the parking lot of an O'Reilly Auto Parts. There have been no other reports of injuries.
The adult male pilot was pulled from the plane and taken to a hospital, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. His condition was unknown.
The FAA said it was investigating the crash and identified the fixed-wing plane as a Cessna 172 S Skyhawk SP.
Federal records show the plane is registered toVista Aviation Inc. at Whiteman Airport. A spokesperson for the business, which provides aviation services, could not immediately be reached for comment.
According to the flight tracking websiteFlight Radar 24, the plane took off from the small Pacoima airport shortly before 11 a.m.
Data show the plane was in the air for less than 10 minutes when it turned around and headed back to the airport before crashing.
The Whiteman Airport Coalition, an advocacy group for the airport, said in a statement that the plane was being rented out to the pilot.
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"Events like this are taken very seriously," they wrote. "Whiteman Airport operates under strict federal safety standards, with rigorous requirements for pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and flight operations."
Community activists and residentsliving in the area have long called for theclosure of the airportbecause of safety and health concerns.
After a crash inJanuary 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors looked into closing the airport. In a letter,federal aviation authoritieswarned the county that the land purchased with federal funds carried an obligation that included operating the property as an airport unless the FAA formally released it.
In a written statement, Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said she had been calling for the airport to close since 2020 due to repeated crashes. She said she planned to call for more information about the crash.
"This [L.A. County]-owned airport is poorly managed and continues to place serious health and safety threats on the Pacoima community," she said. "It’s time for the county to step up and make meaningful changes."
The airport coalition said the airport played a critical role in public safety by supporting law enforcement, wildfire operations and emergency response.
"We understand this raises concerns and we are committed to keeping the community informed as more information becomes available," the coalition said in its statement.
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This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.
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