Plane crashes into hangar at Long Beach Airport, pilot survives

Travis Schlepp

Updated: Jul 11, 2023 / 05:04 AM CDT

(KTLA) – A pilot avoided serious injury after crashing a single-engine plane into the roof of a building at the Long Beach Airport Monday afternoon.

The crash happened around 2:20 p.m., according to authorities.

First responders arrived on the scene and found the Cessna 172 nose down through the roof of a hangar. Nexstar’s KTLA was able to capture the image below of the plane sticking out of the hangar.

*A single-engine plane crashed nose-first into a hangar at the Long Beach Airport on July 10, 2023. (KTLA)*

The pilot was the only occupant, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. They were apparently practicing takeoffs and landings when the plane crashed.

The unidentified pilot appeared to have suffered only minor injuries, Long Beach Fire Department officials said.

Kate Kuykendall, a spokesperson for the Long Beach Airport, said the crash had no impact on any commercial flights and the emergency response was being handled by the Long Beach Fire Department.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, with a preliminary update expected within the coming days.

Just days ago, a Cessna C550 business jet crashed, killing six people, and another Cessna 172 went down on July 4, killing one and injuring others. Both of those crashes took place at French Valley Airport near the city of Murrieta in Riverside County, California.