Good Samaritans lift small plane to free pilot after crash into Pacoima parking lot

A group of good Samaritans was caught on video working together to lift the wreckage of a small plane and free the pilot trapped inside after the aircraft went down in the parking lot of a Pacoima auto parts store. The pilot, who was reportedly a 70-year-old man, was rushed to the hospital shortly after the plane went down. He's reportedly in critical condition. Witnesses describe the terrifying scene as they saw the plane in trouble, falling from the sky. Many rushed to the scene to help. "It hit a post, and then from the post it flipped and then it fell into O'Reilly's," one witness, Luz De La Cruz said. The crowd lifted the crumpled aircraft enough to pull the pilot from the wreckage. "Me and my brother and like 10 other people helped pick up the plane and rescued the guy out," she said. "It was very terrifying. Witnesses said he was bleeding from the nose and mouth but still breathing. The pilot was transported to the hospital, where he's in critical condition. Sky5 was overhead just after the single-engine Cessna went down around 11 a.m. near Van Nuys and San Fernando Boulevard. No one else was hurt in the crash. The aircraft was resting on its rooftop in a mostly empty parking lot of the auto parts store when firefighters arrived. "Reports of people on scene said he was pulled out of the plane, set aside and they took off," LAFD Captain Milo Cope said. De La Cruz said, "All these wires were coming down. You could see the sparks in them, so the people from O'Reilly's ran outside and were screaming at us like, get off the cars, it's going to spark on your cars." Witnesses who rushed to the crash site saw the plane strike power lines along Van Nuys Boulevard before it came down. Just a few blocks from Whiteman Airport. "We assume, based off the direction, that it was landing into Whiteman Airport. But that's all an assumption, we haven't heard anything from the air tower at Whiteman," Capt. Cope said. "I'm hoping he's in good hands and that he goes back home to his family," De La Cruz said. The Whiteman Airport Coalition released a statement, saying in part, “Our thoughts are with the pilot, who was taken to the hospital after today’s accident. We are grateful that no one else was injured and that first responders moved quickly to secure the scene." The airport spokesperson also said the aircraft was owned by Vista Aviation at Whiteman Airport and was being rented by the pilot at the time of the incident. Thankfully, no fire was sparked when the plane clipped the power lines, but streets were closed in the area as repairs were being made. It's unknown at this point what caused the plane to crash. The FAA is investigating. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath released a statement saying, "The safety of the Pacoima community is our top priority as we learn more about the downed plane at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store on Van Nuys Boulevard. My office is working with Councilwoman Rodriguez’s office, LA County Public Works, and LADWP to address the ongoing nearby power outages. I have called on Public Works to provide updates to surrounding community members. I look forward to receiving information from the National Transportation Safety Board as they conduct their investigation."