A 77-year-old pilot survived a runway overrun at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, reigniting calls from local officials to close the county-owned airfield. The FAA says the airport cannot shut down while it accepts federal funding.
small plane skidded off the runway at in on Tuesday, June 16, crashing through a perimeter fence into a parking lot. The 77-year-old pilot was injured but survived. The incident has reignited a years-long fight over whether the county-owned airfield should remain open.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded at 9:11 a.m. to the crash near 12653 W. Osborne St., just beyond the end of the runway. Firefighters extricated the pilot from the single-engine aircraft. The pilot suffered minor injuries and received medical assessment at the scene, according to LAFD.
This was the fifth high-profile aircraft accident involving Whiteman Airport since 2020, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. Previous incidents include:
The June 16 accident was caused by landing gear failure, according to the Daily News report by Teresa Liu.
Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Supervisor whose district includes the airport, renewed her call for the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend flight operations at Whiteman Airport pending a federal safety review.
"I do not have confidence that this federal government shares Los Angeles County's sense of urgency for safety at Whiteman Airport," Horvath said in a statement Tuesday. "We have repeatedly called for answers and corrective actions — we are still waiting."
Horvath has sent multiple letters to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board since April. She urged the agencies to investigate recent crashes, review pilot training and airport safety practices, and temporarily halt operations pending a broader federal safety review.
Monica Rodriguez, Los Angeles City Councilmember representing Pacoima, also criticized the county's response.
"This morning's plane crash at Whiteman Airport reminds us of the definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result," Rodriguez said in a statement Tuesday. "It's shameful that the County has taken no meaningful action to protect our community after these repeated accidents which threaten our community's safety."
She said she would "continue to fight for accountability and the safety of Pacoima residents."
Los Angeles County Public Works, which manages the airport, said Tuesday it supports Horvath's call for enhanced FAA oversight, pilot training, and aviation safety programs. The department said Whiteman and the county's other general aviation airports continue to meet applicable federal and state safety standards.
The Federal Aviation Administration said airports that accept federal funding remain subject to Grant Assurances requiring them to operate in a safe and serviceable manner. Because Los Angeles County accepted federal funding, including money used to acquire land for Whiteman Airport, the airport must remain open unless the FAA releases it from those obligations.
"The FAA has not received a request from Los Angeles County to close Whiteman Airport," the agency said in a statement to the Southern California News Group on Friday.
Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant with nearly three decades of aviation safety experience, said determining whether an airport is unsafe is more complicated than simply counting accidents.
"There are processes that we use when it comes to risk assessment," Brickhouse said. "We don't just have an accident or have a series of accidents and make a snap decision based on that."
Brickhouse said aviation safety specialists generally compare an airport with similar facilities. They look at factors such as the number of aircraft operations, types of aircraft using the airport, and accident rates. They then examine the circumstances of individual incidents before determining whether an airport has a broader systemic safety problem.
"This isn't a challenge specific to this airport," Brickhouse said. "We've seen that same challenge at a lot of different airports around the country and around the world for that matter."
The Whiteman Airport Coalition, which represents pilots, airport businesses, and other aviation stakeholders, said in an emailed reply that every aviation accident should be taken seriously. The coalition argued that decisions about the airport's future should be guided by completed investigations and overall safety data rather than individual incidents.
The coalition said the airport handles roughly 125,000 aircraft operations each year. It supports flight training, emergency response, local businesses, and workforce development.
Estevan Roth, a longtime Pacoima resident and member of the Whiteman Airport Coalition, has been based at the airport since 2014.
"It's important to put the number of operations in context when we talk about accidents," Roth said.
Residents and community advocates who have pushed for the airport's closure argue those explanations do little to ease concerns. They cite noise and environmental concerns alongside repeated crashes near homes, businesses, and other community spaces.
Lazaro Gonzalez, who works at a hangar near Whiteman Airport, witnessed the aftermath of Tuesday's crash. He described arriving to work and seeing firefighters, onlookers, and a completely wrecked small plane in the parking lot outside the landing area, according to The San Fernando Valley Sun.
The investigation into the June 16 crash is ongoing. The National Transportation Safety Board typically leads investigations into general aviation accidents. No timeline for a final report has been announced.
This article was generated with AI assistance.