Whiteman Airport faces shutdown calls after another Pacoima plane crash
Whiteman Airport faces shutdown calls after crash
Calls are growing to shut down Whiteman Airport after another crash in Pacoima, the latest in a string of incidents over recent years.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Calls are growing to shut down Whiteman Airport after another plane crash in Pacoima, the latest in a string of incidents reported in recent years.
The most recent crash happened Monday, when a Cessna Skyhawk clipped power lines and fell from the sky just north of the airport, according to video, now part of a federal investigation.
Bystanders rushed to the wreckage and pulled out a 70-year-old pilot, who remains in critical condition.
"I haven’t been keeping track, but these are not uncommon," a Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter said at the scene.
The crash has renewed long-standing concerns among residents and business owners who say planes frequently fly too low.
"They fly too low. They almost hit the poles most of the time," said William Garcia, who owns a nearby barbershop.
"These planes are man-made. All of a sudden it’s going to come down, and here we are," said Jaime Shutes, a member of a local bike club.
According to National Transportation Safety Board records, at least 16 crashes have been linked to Whiteman Airport over the past 17 years. Some of those incidents have involved planes going down in neighborhoods, striking buildings or making emergency landings on train tracks.
"We don’t use the airport. Never been on a plane over here. We go to Burbank. It’s really no use for us," Shutes said.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez is again calling for action. In a statement to FOX 11, she said, "Since 2020, I have called for the closure of Whiteman Airport due to repeated plane crashes," adding that she has asked federal investigators to take a closer look.
The crash also knocked out power to nearly 100 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers, impacting nearby businesses.
"We don’t have power, we can’t — no haircuts," Garcia said.
For many in the community, the concern is not if another crash will happen, but when.
"It’s a problem for us. Get rid of the problem," Shutes said. "There ain’t no need to take a chance with our lives for an airport we don’t even use."
The runway sits about a quarter mile from where the plane hit the power lines.
So far, county leaders have not responded to the renewed calls to shut the airport down.