Following yesterday’s incident near Whiteman Airport, KCBS News reached out to the Whiteman Airport Coalition for comment on the crash, the facts surrounding airport operations, and Whiteman’s role as critical public safety infrastructure for Los Angeles County.

You can watch the coverage here:

A new video has surfaced showing the moment the aircraft clipped power lines. The good news this morning is that the pilot continues to recover in a local hospital.

As this story develops, we must stay grounded in facts and be clear about what is and is not true.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who has called for the closure of Whiteman Airport since 2020, reiterated her position that the airport is “poorly managed” and called for “meaningful changes.”

On one point, we agree. But accountability matters.

Whiteman Airport is owned and operated by Los Angeles County. The LA County Board of Supervisors controls this airport. If management is failing, that responsibility rests with the County.

In recent years, Los Angeles County has not advanced any major FAA-funded capital improvement projects at Whiteman.

This is not due to a lack of funding. FAA resources are available for safety, infrastructure, and modernization, but the County must actively pursue them. The FAA does not initiate these projects.

Supervisor Lindsay Horvath froze funding for this airport years ago.

If conditions at Whiteman are deteriorating, that is the result of a policy decision not to invest in a federally obligated asset. The issue is not whether improvements are possible. It is why the County is not pursuing them.

Whiteman handles approximately 80,000 to 100,000 operations annually, representing millions of takeoffs and landings over time.

The accident rate is extremely low relative to that level of activity.

Every incident should be taken seriously. But it must be understood in context, not used to support claims that are not backed by data.

Whiteman Airport is subject to federal grant assurances tied to prior FAA funding.

These require Los Angeles County to maintain the airport for aviation use and limit the ability to close or repurpose the property without FAA approval.

These are binding and enforceable requirements, with significant legal and financial consequences if violated.

Moments like this shape public perception and policy direction.

We should not allow mismanagement to be used as justification for closure, especially when that mismanagement stems from deliberate decisions by the LA County Board of Supervisors.

The path forward is accountability and modernization.

We will continue to push for both.