Pacoima residents call for Whiteman Airport closure following small plane crash

One day after a small plane crashed into a parking lot near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, residents there are calling for the airport to close, citing safety threats to the neighborhood. The small plane came crashing down right in the middle of the O'Reilly Auto Parts parking lot Monday morning. The plane took power lines down with it, knocking out power to parts of the area. Crews were still working to restore electricity Tuesday. Video surfaced of bystanders helping save the pilot, who was the only person on board. "Half of his body was crushed from the plane," said Luz De La Cruz, who helped the pilot. "And that's when they cut the belt and they picked up the plane, and that's when we dragged him out, between me and three guys." The airplane took off from Whitman Airport and was reportedly only in the air for less than 10 minutes and was heading back to land before crashing just after 11 a.m. The 2007 Cessna is registered to a local flight school. The pilot, a 72-year-old man, was transported to a hospital in critical condition after eyewitnesses said the plane hit a pole as it was crashing and flipped over. The aircraft reportedly then leaked fuel all over the ground. "There was so much gasoline being drained, we didn't know if the electrical wires were going to spark and, you know, create a fire," De La Cruz continued. "I think (what was) in everybody's mind was just to get this guy out." The Whiteman Airport Coalition, an advocacy group for the airport, said in a statement that the plane was being rented out to the pilot. They said, "Whiteman Airport operates under strict federal safety standards, with rigorous requirements for pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and flight operations." But the airport has faced calls to shut down for several years now after a string of accidents. A council woman who represents the area, Monica Rodriguez, said, "This L.A. County-owned airport is poorly managed and continues to place serious health and safety threats on the Pacoima community." She said she's been calling for the airport to close since 2020 because of repeated crashes. Some residents are calling for the same. "I'm very nervous because of what's been going on here," said neighbor Mario Otero through a translator. "There's been a lot of airplanes that have been crashing here. We feel like a plane could crash into our house." Crews continue their work to repair the downed power lines caused by the crash. LADWP said they've restored power to the roughly 250 customers who lost it. The FAA said it will be investigating the crash.