What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At 12:36 am on 9-6-24 privacy data omitted Piper pa 24-250 commanche crashed on 126th st. just southwest of privacy data omitted. Pilot and 1 passenger were on board. The aircraft departed the Hawthorne airport at 12:34 am. The attempted to depart eastbound on runway 7 and appeared to have trouble gaining altitude. The plane stopped at alpha (end of runway 7 near crenshaw blvd. The passenger exited the aircraft and walked around the aircraft as if inspecting the aircraft. The aircraft taxied to alpha and took off westbound on runway 25 and again appeared to have trouble gaining altitude. Aircraft banked right losing altitude approximately at 12:36 am crashing on 126th st. the aircraft crashed by first clipping a tree in the parking lot of city hall. There is evidence that one of the wings hit the pavement. The aircraft then struck a small block wall and hit a light pole on the north sidewalk and spun around bursting into flames and caming to rest on 126th st. just west of a driveway leading to a hotel. Pilot and passenger were ejected from aircraft, pilot and passenger was transported to the hospital where the passenger was treated and released. Pilot was treated for burns covering 50% of the body, but approximately two weeks later expired.
As the FAA filed it
AT 12:36 AM ON 9-6-24 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PIPER PA 24-250 COMMANCHE CRASHED ON 126TH ST. JUST SOUTHWEST OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. PILOT AND 1 PASSENGER WERE ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE HAWTHORNE AIRPORT AT 12:34 AM. THE ATTEMPTED TO DEPART EASTBOUND ON RUNWAY 7 AND APPEARED TO HAVE TROUBLE GAINING ALTITUDE. THE PLANE STOPPED AT ALPHA (END OF RUNWAY 7 NEAR CRENSHAW BLVD. THE PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WALKED AROUND THE AIRCRAFT AS IF INSPECTING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO ALPHA AND TOOK OFF WESTBOUND ON RUNWAY 25 AND AGAIN APPEARED TO HAVE TROUBLE GAINING ALTITUDE. AIRCRAFT BANKED RIGHT LOSING ALTITUDE APPROXIMATELY AT 12:36 AM CRASHING ON 126TH ST. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED BY FIRST CLIPPING A TREE IN THE PARKING LOT OF CITY HALL. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT ONE OF THE WINGS HIT THE PAVEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A SMALL BLOCK WALL AND HIT A LIGHT POLE ON THE NORTH SIDEWALK AND SPUN AROUND BURSTING INTO FLAMES AND CAMING TO REST ON 126TH ST. JUST WEST OF A DRIVEWAY LEADING TO A HOTEL. PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE EJECTED FROM AIRCRAFT, PILOT AND PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE PASSENGER WAS TREATED AND RELEASED. PILOT WAS TREATED FOR BURNS COVERING 50% OF THE BODY, BUT APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER EXPIRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.