Pilot, 77, walks away after plane crashes near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima

A 77-year-old pilot was able to walk away after a small airplane veered off the runway and crashed into a parking lot at Whiteman Airport on Tuesday morning. Crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department were dispatched to the incident near Osborne Street in Pacoima at about 9:11 a.m. Fire officials initially reported the downed plane was a Cessna, but KTLA’s Rich Prickett, reporting from Sky5 at 9:45 a.m., said it may have been an experimental aircraft. The pilot was injured in the crash but was able to walk away, according to a news release from the Whiteman Airport Coalition (WAC). Fire officials did not identify the pilot but confirmed he was a 77-year-old man. Officials initially said the pilot declined transport to a local hospital, but later updated that he went for further evaluation. Witnesses initially believed the crash occurred during takeoff, but updated information from the WAC suggests the plane was landing. “Based on initial reports, the pilot safely landed on the runway, but the landing gear did not deploy properly,” WAC officials said in the news release. “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 Fire Department said some fuel leaked from the aircraft, but it was fully contained and there was no active fire. “As always, the appropriate authorities will investigate the incident and determine exactly what occurred,” the news release said.