The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors heard testimony Tuesday from people who have concerns over the status and future of Whiteman Airport (KWHP) in Southern California.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents the district where the airport is located in Pacoima, is calling for a federal review of operations and a full report by county officials on ways to improve safety after the April 20 crash of a Cessna 172 that was on approach to land and struck power lines. The airplane crashed in the parking lot of an auto parts store.
The pilot, the only person on board, was critically injured but survived. There were no injuries to anyone else, and the damage was limited to the airplane and power lines.
“Residents deserve clear answers and confidence that every available safety measure is being considered,” Horvath said in a statement. “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.”
In 2024 Horvath spearheaded a motion asking for a study on the airport’s operational impacts and the possibility of closing it and redeveloping the land.
Legally, airports can only be closed when the airport sponsor, in this case LA County, makes a formal request and the FAA approves it. According to a statement, the agency has not received such a request.
“The FAA is committed to ensuring aviation safety,” the FAA statement said. “Airports that accept federal funding must comply with obligations known as Grant Assurances. The Grant Assurances require an airport to be operated at all times in a safe and serviceable condition. The FAA requires airports to correct any safety issues we become aware of. Los Angeles County used federal grant money to buy land for Whiteman Airport. Airport operators that use grant money for land acquisition must keep the airport open unless the FAA releases them from that obligation.”
When an airport receives an Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant, it obligates the facility to remain open for at least 20 years from the date of the most recent grant. In Whiteman’s case, that was 2021.
In an email to FLYING, the Whiteman Airport Coalition noted that when there is an accident or incident near the facility, opposition forces are quick to argue it is a danger to the community and seek ways to curtail operations or call for its closure.
Each accident was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which determined the probable cause of the event. The accident reports, including the probable cause, are accessible to the public online.
None of the accidents suggest airport infrastructure or procedures as causal factors.
Here is a list of the Whiteman accidents cited:
• In November 2020 a Civil Air Patrol airplane crashed in a neighborhood near the runway, killing the pilot. The pilot reported a loss of engine power while on final approach. The aircraft came down 175 feet short of the runway, collided with a power pole, and caught fire.
The NTSB investigation revealed that the engine’s throttle control rod was separated from the throttle body control arm as the attachment hardware, which consisted of a bolt, washer, castellated nut, and cotter pin, was not located. A new engine was installed in the aircraft two months before the accident.
The NTSB determined that “based on the available information, it is likely that the throttle control connecting hardware was improperly installed or secured during the most recent maintenance, which resulted in its disconnection and a loss of engine power and throttle control while on final approach.”
• In January 2022 the pilot of a Cessna 172 based at Whiteman noted water in the left tank during the preflight inspection and pulled out 1 ounce of water, then determined there wasn’t much water in the fuel system. He told investigators that the airplane had been stored outside for some time, and it rained for 18 days previous to the flight. NTSB investigators noted the fuel cap gaskets were deteriorated and “not intact.”
Shortly after takeoff, when the aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot declared an emergency to the tower controller and initiated a descending right turn. The airplane came down on a railroad crossing. Law enforcement responding to the crash pulled the pilot from the airplane moments before it was struck by a passenger train. The video of the rescue went viral.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident was “the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection during which he failed to remove all water contamination in the fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power on takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the condition of the fuel caps, which allowed the water to enter the fuel system.”
• In April 2022, the pilot of a Cessna 337 Skymaster was killed when he crashed alongside the freeway near the airport. According to the NTSB report, shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to the tower controller that he was not able to retract the airplane’s landing gear and requested to circle the airport at 2,500 feet. The airplane climbed to and remained at about 2,000 feet for about two minutes before entering a descent and hitting the ground.
The autopsy on the pilot determined he was likely impaired by alcohol at the time of the accident, as the NTSB report states.
Los Angeles County is expected to compile the information and report back in seven days with timelines, costs, and funding options to implement recommendations.
History of Whiteman Airport
Whiteman Airport was built in 1946 in a neighborhood filled with 1930s-era craftsman homes occupied by middle-class professionals such as engineers and technicians who worked at local defense plants during World War II or who were part of the movie-making industry.
By the 1970s the defense industry had cut back and people moved out of the neighborhood, but the airport still flourished. In 1973 LA County, the airport sponsor, purchased 100 acres of land adjacent to it, evicting trailer park residents to lengthen and realign the runway so it could accept larger aircraft such as turboprops and piston twins.
The airport sits within Class D airspace beneath the shelf of Class C, with Runway 12/30 measuring 4,120 feet by 75 feet. Published airport information includes a warning about the low power lines located southwest of the runway. The airport has several government agencies based there, such as law enforcement helicopters, and it is also used by medevac groups.
