3 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Near Los Angeles

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3 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Near Los Angeles
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 


Print LOS ANGELES —  A small plane crashed between buildings at a suburban Los Angeles airport Wednesday, killing three people on board, authorities said.

The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza G36 went down around 4:30 p.m. and smashed into a parking area at Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Frank Garrido said.

The main body of the wreckage ended up in parking spaces among four buildings near the airport's runway. The nose was destroyed, the tail section was bent to one side, and fuel spilled across the ground. There was no fire.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allan Kenitzer said it wasn't known whether the plane was taking off or landing. The cause of the crash was under investigation.

The plane was owned by Carpet Pros Inc. of Lawndale. A call to the company was not immediately returned.

The small airport is alongside Interstate 105 near the southeast corner of Los Angeles International Airport.