CRASH LANDING HURTS 4 PLANE BOUNCES INTO CAR LOT.Byline: Ryan Oliver Staff Writer PACOIMA - Four people were injured Wednesday afternoon when a small airplane crash-landed on San Fernando Road San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the and hit two vehicles before it was engulfed by flames. ``I heard a loud boom,'' said Sergio Chavez, owner of a used-car lot where the plane eventually came to a stop. ``I came out and saw the plane had crashed in the corner of the lot. ``It was on fire, and I kept away because I thought it could explode,'' Chavez said. The pilot of the single-engine Cessna Centurian was attempting to land at Whiteman Airpark air·park n. A small airport typically located near a business area or industrial park. when he encountered mechanical trouble and fell short of the runway, said Capt. Kris Pitcher of the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . .
The 58-year-old pilot was hospitalized with moderate injuries while a passenger and two people on the ground were treated for minor injuries, Pitcher said. Identities of the victims were unavailable Wednesday. Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control records show the Cessna was registered to a Gary Marsh of Malibu. It was about 3:40 p.m. when the plane came down and bounced near Metrolink tracks, then onto San Fernando Road. The plane struck a Honda Civic The Honda Civic is a compact car manufactured by Honda. It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a three-door hatchback version that September. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive, like the British Mini, the , whose driver was waiting at Pinney Street to turn onto San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. , and then continued into the lot of William's Auto Sales Auto Sales The major producers of domestic automobiles report sales monthly. These numbers are seasonally adjusted by the U.S. Department of Commerce and are available to the public one to five business days after the end of each month. , knocking down a sign and striking a for-sale pickup truck, Pitcher said. An attendant in the lot was washing the pickup truck and suffered minor injuries when it was pushed into him by the impact, Chavez said. Also suffering minor injuries was the driver of the Honda Civic. Firefighters converged on the scene, pulled out the plane's two occupants and used foam to extinguish Extinguish Retire or pay off debt. the flames. ``The pilot looked like he had some burns,'' Chavez said. ``The passenger looked like he was dizzy or had a bump on his head. Thank God no one was killed.'' Chavez, whose business is just below the approach path for Whiteman, said he has seen a lot of near misses on landings over the years. ``We get a lot of close calls. I knew something like this was going to happen.'' The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: An airplane wound up in the corner of a used-car lot Wednesday after it crash-landed on San Fernando Road near Whiteman Airpark. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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