Pacoima plane crash: Pilot killed when small aircraft slams into parked vehicles, igniting fire near homes

PACOIMA, Calif. -- A pilot was killed when a small plane slammed into multiple vehicles that were parked on a residential street in Pacoima on Thursday morning, igniting a fire near several homes, officials said.

No other injuries were reported in the crash, which occurred shortly after 11:30 a.m. in 10000 block of North Sutter Avenue, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The deceased pilot, the only person onboard the aircraft, was not immediately identified.
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Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished flames that engulfed several parked vehicles near a Whiteman Airport runway. The wreckage of the plane was nearly obliterated.

Initial reports that the aircraft had struck a house appeared to be unfounded.

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In a statement, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash happened as the single-engine Cessna 172 was approaching the airport's Runway 12.
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The cause of the incident is under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.