Pilot killed when small plane crashes near Pacoima homes, setting cars on fire
The pilot of a small plane was killed after crashing onto a suburban street near Whiteman Airport in Pacoima on Thursday morning, officials said.
Video from KTLA-TV Channel 5 showed a fiery wreck involving the plane and several vehicles in the 10600 block of Sutter Avenue. A large plume of black smoke could be seen spewing into the sky following the crash.
Preliminary information indicates the plane, a single-engine Cessna 172, was approaching the runway when it crashed, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor, who said the pilot was the only person on board.
The pilot was “beyond medical help,” Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange said. No other injuries were reported.
At least three cars were damaged in the crash, and a power pole clipped by the plane brought electrical lines down with it, Prange said. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was shutting off power to the area to eliminate electrical hazards.
Officials from the Fire Department, the Los Angeles Police Department and the FAA are at the scene, and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified of the crash, Prange said. The cause remains under investigation.
The crash occurred around 11:45 a.m., according to the Fire Department, and by 1:30 p.m., the flames had been extinguished.
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