Griffith Park plane crash kills three

June 20, 1935: An Army observation airplane attempting to take off from the National Guard Airport at Griffith Park experienced engine trouble and slammed into a car at 70 mph.

The crash killed the three people in the car -- a young couple from Glendale and their 1-year-old daughter. Another child, who was staying with relatives in Washington, was the only surviving family member.

The pilot fractured his left foot and cut his right foot, The Times reported.

The Glendale family, the newspaper said, had been “caught in the path of the onrushing ship as it swerved suddenly on its takeoff for San Diego war maneuvers.”

Four years later, the city ordered the closure of the airport on the grounds that the park, which had been deeded to the city, was meant solely for public enjoyment.