A plane skidded off the runway at Whiteman Airport after the landing gear failed
Firefighters responded to a small plane crash at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, an accident caused by faulty landing gear on the plane, airport officials said.
Firefighters responded to the Cessna plane crash just after 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Based on initial reports of the incident, the pilot and one passenger on the plane landed safely on the runway but the landing gear was not deployed properly, the Whiteman Airport Coalition said in a statement.
The plane continued past the airport, passed through the border fence and landed in the parking lot of the airport, according to the coalition.
It is not clear if the plane collided with any cars or other objects in the parking lot.
“One passenger/pilot has been ejected and is receiving a medical evaluation,” according to an incident alert from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Five liters of fuel leaked from the plane, but the leak was contained and no fire was active.
Officials said the pilot was injured but did not disclose the extent of his injuries.
“Thankfully no one else was injured,” the airline said in a statement. “Most importantly, the incident remained contained to the airport and did not pose a threat to the surrounding areas or nearby residents.”
“Today’s plane crash at Whiteman Airport reminds us of the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result,” Los Angeles City Council Member Monica Rodriguez, whose district includes Pacoima, said in a statement.
“It is a shame that the District did not take an important step to protect our community after these repeated accidents that threaten the safety of our community,” said the statement.
Whiteman Airport has been a source of concern among community activists and neighboring residents who have called for the facility to be closed.
The last incident occurred in April when members of the public helped raise a single-engine plane and pulled the pilot from the wreckage after it crashed upside down in the parking lot of an auto parts store less than two miles from its takeoff point, Whiteman Airport.
The series of accidents prompted the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to consider closing the airport.
In 2022 a single-engine Cessna emergency landed on the Metrolink tracks near San Fernando and Osborne streets; Police had to quickly extricate the driver as the Metrolink train hurtled towards the crash.
That same April, the pilot died after a Cessna crashed near the 210 freeway in Sylmar after taking off from Whiteman Airport.
Earlier, in November 2020, a Cessna crashed into a residential area near the runway, killing a Civil Air Patrol pilot.
Earlier this year, federal aviation authorities warned the county that land purchased with federal money is liable to include operating the area as an airport unless the FAA officially releases it.
“I will continue to monitor this situation closely and continue to fight for accountability and the safety of the citizens of Pacoima,” Rodriguez’s statement read.
Staff writers Ruben Vives and Clara Harter contributed to this report.
