LA County Public Works Supports Call for Enhanced FAA Pilot Oversight and Aviation Safety Measures

LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2026) — Los Angeles County Public Works is supporting Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath’s call for enhanced Federal Aviation Administration oversight, pilot training, and safety programs at County-owned general aviation airports following recent aviation incidents that have raised concerns among residents and stakeholders. The latest incident, which occurred earlier today at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, involved a pilot who crash landed his Cessna single-engine aircraft with the wheels up—colliding with airport fencing before coming to a stop in the onsite parking lot. The pilot received minor injuries.

In a letter sent to federal aviation officials, Supervisor Horvath urged the FAA to evaluate opportunities to strengthen pilot education, improve operational safety programs, evaluate risk mitigation practices and expand outreach efforts aimed at reducing accidents and enhancing public confidence in the County’s general aviation system.

Los Angeles County Public Works owns and operates five general aviation airports that serve as components of the County’s multimodal transportation network. These airports support emergency response, firefighting, medical transport, law enforcement operations, flight training, business aviation, and community-based aviation programs.

“Every transportation system is built on trust, and that trust begins with safety,” said Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella, P.E. “We are committed to providing state-of-the-art transportation infrastructure that is safe, resilient, sustainable, and equitable. And we welcome every opportunity to strengthen the culture of safety across LA County’s aviation community and reinforce the public’s confidence in our transportation network.”

County-owned airports, including Whiteman Airport, consistently meet all applicable federal and state safety standards and work closely with the FAA, airport tenants, pilots, and aviation organizations to promote safe operations. Existing safety initiatives include voluntary nighttime flight curfews, annual FAA Runway Safety Action Team meetings, routine airport safety committee meetings, and ongoing collaboration with aviation stakeholders.

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