LOS ANGELES, CA — Following the latest crash of a small plane near Whiteman Airport, the county Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday calling for a full federal review of aviation operations at the Pacoima facility, and for a report on steps the county might be able to immediately take to improve safety.
"Residents deserve clear answers and confidence that every available safety measure is being considered," Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement last week when she announced the motion. "Los Angeles County owns and maintains Whiteman Airport, but critical aspects of aviation safety — air traffic control, pilot protocols, and airspace — are under federal authority.
"The Federal Aviation Administration plays a central role in those operations, and we need a full review, clear answers, and action to prevent this from happening again."
Her motion followed the April 20 crash of a Cessna 172 small aircraft that struck a power pole while en route to Whiteman Airport, knocking down power lines and leaving the plane overturned in the parking lot of an auto parts store. The pilot survived but was critically injured. No other injuries were reported.
According to Jason Morgan, chief of the aviation division of the county Department of Public Works, the pilot took off from Whiteman Airport and flew a standard pattern and was returning to land back at the airport when the crash occurred. He said the pilot remains hospitalized.
Morgan told the board that based on conversations between the pilot and the airport tower, there were no indications of anything unusual or any problems with the aircraft before the crash occurred. He noted that the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the cause of the crash will likely take several months.
It was the latest in a string of crashes to occur near the airport in recent years, and it rejuvenated debate about the airport's future.
In early 2022, the county Board of Supervisors voted to explore the process involved in seeking a closure of the airport, should the county opt to pursue it. In January of that year, a plane landed on train tracks in the area and was struck by a Metrolink train. In November 2020, a plane crashed in a neighborhood near the runway, killing a Civil Air Patrol pilot.
In April 2022, a pilot died when a Cessna crashed alongside the Foothill (210) Freeway in the Sylmar area.
But while some area residents have pushed for the airport's closure, supporters of the facility have insisted it plays a critical role in local aviation and can only be shuttered by the Federal Aviation Administration — not the county.
The Whiteman Airport Coalition was critical of Horvath after she called for answers from the federal government about the April 20 crash and operations at the facility.
"We also support (Horvath's) call for answers and her sense of urgency in this moment," the coalition said in a statement last Saturday. "At the same time, context and facts matter. In recent years, Supervisor Horvath directed a freeze on pursuing FAA funded capital improvement projects at Whiteman Airport, even though federal funding has been available for safety, infrastructure, and modernization. The question the community and stakeholders have been asking for years is simple: why?"
Horvath said Tuesday her motion is about "ensuring accountability at every level — from what went wrong to what must change."
She noted that the county put a temporary pause on accepting FAA grant money for the airport while a land use and economic impact study is conducted regarding the airport and its future.
Horvath said she is looking forward to a report from the county on possible steps that could be taken immediately to bolster safety.
Her motion called on the county Department of Public Works to:
— identify immediate actions the county can take to strengthen safety at the airport;
— provide a report in seven days with timelines, costs, and potential funding sources for such actions;
— prepare an outline of airport responsibilities among jurisdictions such as the FAA, NTSB, Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; and
— outline federal aviation regulations related to aircraft operations and pilot requirements, including their contingency plans during power outages or other similar disruptions.
City News Service
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