Plane Crashes Into Parking Lot of Auto Parts Store

Customers at an auto parts store in Los Angeles' Pacoima neighborhood narrowly missed becoming part of a plane crash scene late Monday morning. A single-engine Cessna 172 went down in the parking lot of an O'Reilly Auto Parts off Van Nuys Boulevard just after 11am, ending up upside down only feet from parked vehicles, KTLA reports. Authorities say the 70-year-old pilot was the only person on board. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the man was pulled from the plane and hospitalized in critical condition, reports the AP.

The plane clipped a power pole and brought down lines on nearby Pala Avenue but did not strike any cars. The aircraft is owned by Vista Aviation at Whiteman Airport and was being rented by the pilot. The FAA says it will investigate the crash, while the Whiteman Airport Coalition urged patience until "the facts are allowed to come forward before any conclusions are drawn." "Our thoughts are with the pilot, who was taken to the hospital after today's accident," the group said. "We are grateful that no one else was injured and that first responders moved quickly to secure the scene.