Dear Editor,
In response to your coverage last week: “County Advances Efforts to Improve Safety at Whiteman Airport,” and on behalf of ICON CDC, and many community stakeholders, we would like to thank and congratulate Supervisor Lindsay Horvath for calling for the suspension of operations at Whiteman Airport until the Federal Aviation Administration can fully investigate and implement safety measures to prevent further crashes. While we are fully aware that the FAA will not heed her call due to their loyalty to airports, not people, we appreciate her willingness to stand up to those who care more about their aviation hobbies than about the health and safety of their neighbors.
Also, she is on point as to the reasons for the accidents, “these are really related to pilot and operational error, not to the county’s lack of maintenance,” or improvements. A review of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aviation Investigation Reports for the recent accidents:
November 2020: Engine Maintenance Failure (Final Report)
January 2022: Inadequate pilot inspection and water-contaminated fuel (Final Report)
April 2022: Pilot Loss of Control and Alcohol Consumption (Final Report)
April 2026: Pilot error (preliminary)
June 2026: Landing gear malfunction (preliminary)
The FAA is responsible for aircraft safety and inspection, and pilot certification and performance. As per the FAA, the County of Los Angeles has NO jurisdiction, responsibility or obligation as regards the aviation worthiness of the planes or their proper maintenance, nor the ability and actions of associated pilots. All of the recent crashes were due to pilot error or plane malfunction, not to the “lack of investment” by the County in airport infrastructure. Airport infrastructure improvements and associated FAA grants that would obligate the County and the airport into perpetuity.
And it is our understanding that there is no full-time or even part-time presence of FAA personnel at Whiteman Airport. The FAA makes periodic (not even weekly) visits to inspect planes and/or certify pilots. In fact, the maintenance of personal aircraft and the capability and behavior of pilots (including alcohol consumption) is self-policed by the pilots themselves, with the FAA responding to reports or complaints.
While we appreciate the County’s efforts to implement safety measures and facility improvements, they do not speak to the lack of oversight and inspection of almost 600 private planes at an airport that is by the FAA’s regulations, “non-standard.” No amount of
funds is going to correct the deficiencies of Whiteman and alleviate the need to use “Declared Distances” for takeoff and landing over homes and businesses. Situated in an urbanized area and adjacent to schools, churches and parks, Whiteman Airport, and its use by personal aircraft, with associated maintenance and pilot issues, for the past 75 years, is no longer sustainable and continues to endanger local residents.
And we should not confuse the Barton Heliport with Whiteman Airport. The former is where the various fire and law enforcement helicopters are based, not Whiteman. The entire community supports Barton and potentially its expansion. Aviation advocates want to confuse the two to claim the necessity of Whiteman, but they are entirely separate facilities.
Finally, the Whiteman Coalition’s statement that the County cannot close the airport is also misleading. Per the FAA’s letter to the County on January 21, 2026, “the County, as the Airport’s sponsor, remains responsible for conducting its own analysis and providing justification for any long term planning requests, including the pursuit of release and closure.” While the FAA has the final word on closure of an airport, “upon receipt of such a request,” as the owner and sponsor of Whiteman, the County can and must make the decision to do what’s in the best interest of those most impacted by Whiteman’s continued troubled existence, the 100,000 residents and 3,000 businesses of Pacoima, mostly Latino, not the few plane owners who don’t live in Pacoima and who have enjoyed our lack of engagement…until now.
Regards,
Roberto Barragan
Executive Director, ICON CDC
Given the consequences of airport closure include losses to emergency response and infrastructure, it is only fair Angelenos hear the facts about Whiteman Airport.
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To begin with: Whiteman and LA County’s Barton Helipad are interdependent facilities, not “entirely separate” ones.
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In 2023, LA County Fire Assistant Chief Robert Gaylor, then a Battalion Chief based at the Barton, testified airport closure would disrupt LA County Fire’s crucial, life-saving operations originating out of Barton (which relies on the airport control tower and its airspace) and that closing Whiteman would eliminate the frequent emergency operations by aircraft and helicopters which use the airport—as we all witnessed during the January 2025 fires.
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Chief Gaylor spoke the truth about Whiteman and Barton. Yet years later, airport opponents still confuse these operationally indivisible facilities as somehow separate. They are not.
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For context regarding anti-Whiteman politics and the related redevelopment plan, interested Angelenos may read this analysis of the ICONCDC study and its proposals:
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https://sanfernandosun.com/2026/07/08/whiteman-closure-for-safety-or-profit/
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This analysis highlights the facts and motivations around Whiteman closure efforts.
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As for claims about the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), they range from mere grumbling about federal authorities’ decisions to ignore politically motivated grandstanding to ignorance about inspectors’ responsibilities, as well as disregard for current contracts and existent obligations.
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As verified earlier this year and reported in March, the FAA has confirmed that LA County is legally obligated to operate Whiteman as an airport in perpetuity. As federal obligations are already in place and perpetual, accepting more FAA funding is effectively free—there is no reason to reject these resources.
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Anti-Whiteman opposition to FAA funding and safety improvements, generally speaking, comes down to two points: 1) ignorance of the facts and 2) safety as not a genuine concern, but merely a political talking point.
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Because the FAA typically pays 90% of airport project costs, irresponsibly refusing federal funds is fiscally foolish—especially when LA County faces a budget shortfall. The ongoing FAA fund freeze, initiated by LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath in 2024 at the behest of Whiteman opponents, means LA County taxpayers must pay 10 times the cost they would otherwise pay for services. In fact, airport detractors demand Angelenos pay 100% of costs for work LA County could accomplish for a mere 10% of the cost. Angelenos are paying more money for no good reason.
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Finally, anti-Whiteman voices should not pretend to speak for all residents. Anti-airport events typically average about 12 to 20 attendees…all too often the same familiar faces in spite of extensive advertisement.
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Whiteman, Descanso Gardens and the Hollywood Bowl are County-owned facilities serving all of Los Angeles County residents. Residency in the neighborhoods adjacent to these public assets is beside the point: Angelenos are Angelenos with these facilities theirs to access. As many airport detractors do not reside in Pacoima themselves, their disparaging complaints toward so-called ‘non-residents’ are quite galling.
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For years now, public comments have overwhelmingly and reliably favored Whiteman, voicing eager support for current and continued operations. Angelenos strongly support Whiteman and Barton: it is past time to respect the will of the people.
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Rather than continue pushing their personal ambitions and for-profit agendas, anti-Whiteman special interests must drop their crusade, embrace the airport and welcome desired improvements for the community. Angelenos deserve to have their needs met, their voices heard and their wishes honored.
On Behalf of those who benefit from the services that Whiteman airport facilitates like those who benefited from the rapid responses to the Palisades Fire, the Hughes Fire, and most recently the Sandy Fire. On behalf of those that benefit from the Search & Rescue CAP that operates at Whiteman, and those who train at Whiteman and become airline pilots, and on behalf those who have benefited from the over 10,000 free kids flights, and those that benefit from the helicopters based at Whiteman, that provide the eyes in the sky traffic and news coverage, and those kids who continue to receive free “explorer” or Cadet training, or learn how to build an airplane at the EAA, that grow up and get jobs in the aviation industry, I say, “well done!” And, don’t forget the residents not only of Pacoima, but Burbank, Van Nuys, Santa Monica and Long Beach as they are happy their skies and airports don’t become congested and overburdened because of displaced Whiteman traffic.
On behalf of all these I would like to thank the pilots based at Whiteman, and those responsible for the tremendous benefit the entire LA Basin enjoys because of their participation. These pilots and personnel stand up for the County, and the goals our County fathers wished for.
True, the County is preempted from certain regulatory activities. They are also preempted from issuing drivers licenses, charging state sales tax, and managing the National Guard. Perhaps the critics of our governmental system would propose closing the streets and freeways because of the huge daily accident toll claiming the County cannot control drivers’ licenses? The County does however control gate passes at Whiteman airport, and is also obligated to perform airport maintenance, which had the County not refused to accept federal funds would be in better repair.
Had they been accepted those funds could also have upgraded the homes located very close to the runway. Those residents have been forgotten by the anti-airport critics.
While true almost all aviation accidents are caused by operator error or mechanical breakdown, the same is true of accidents on Santa Monica Boulevard and other County maintained thoroughfares. Luckily for drivers the County isn’t yet allowed to build houses in the middle of Santa Monica Boulevard!
County and City airport critics and certain “stakeholders,” acknowledge the “lack of investment,” but feel it isn’t responsible for accidents. Years ago, putting the similar wires that two airplanes hit underground. Anti-airport foes disagreed and influenced the decision to keep them above ground predictably creating an accident spiderweb.
Not accepting Federal grants meritless for three reasons: 1) the airport already has perpetuity, benefit, 2) no legitimate fear of obligation extension, and 3) it contradicts the current anti-FAA cry. On one hand the County opts to not accepted available FAA aid, and on the other, the County complains, and throws the FAA under the bus!
FAA Staffing: I offer this comparison. Your child wants a new bicycle, but their allowance doesn’t provide enough money to pay for school lunch and books and still have enough for the bicycle. The FAA is like the child. They have many goals and need an increased staff, but they don’t control the budget, Congress does. Long-term contracts could save money. Engaging is impossible as Congress has limited funding to one-year periods. Result: Don’t criticize your kid or the FAA for not being able to afford what each would like to do. If you truly have a problem with staffing limits, please address that criticism to your congressional representatives. Have you?
The FAA however, via extradentary effort, has created the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam), a voluntary organized group composed of aviation professionals devoted to reporting safety challenges, community outreach, and recurrent pilot education. The FAASTeam extends the eyes and ears of the FAA at little cost in comparison.
Some airport critics might not have noticed that the FAASTeam is at Whiteman. I personally have produced, or co-produced, and spoken for years at not just one free seminar every 4 months, as currently requested by the County, but at over 40 per year, and I am not the only representative at Whiteman. It is a successful program. Only 0.33% of pilots involved in Part 91 general aviation accidents had a “current” phase of the FAA WINGS – Pilot Proficiency Program at the time of their accident. And one shouldn’t discount the U.S. Air Force auxiliary Civil Air Patrol based at Whiteman either.
The amount of misinformation spread by those who allegedly might have ulterior motives is disturbing. For example, drug testing: the FAA enforces a federally mandated Industry Drug and Alcohol Testing Program under 14 CFR Part 120 and 49 CFR Part 40, designed to protect public safety.
Another example: negatively referring to Whiteman as a “non-standard” airport. There is no “non-standard” airport. There are “non-standard” instrument approach requirements for airports, meaning that the requirements for pilots to fly that approach mandate HIGHER than standard requirements and are designed to provide an extra safety element.
Other terms like “Declared Distances” might also confuse those who haven’t had the opportunity to do the necessary study. Declared distances are often published by authorities for each runway end and are used to define the available lengths for aircraft performance calculations. In practice, they are published in official aeronautical sources for most commercial service airports. These values are regulatory for Part 121 passenger aircraft and are essential for safe takeoff and landing performance planning. For example, no general aviation or commercial pilot should operate an aircraft without knowing the usable length of a runway!
If Whiteman Airport is deemed unsustainable and a continued danger to local residents—despite the fact that no local resident has died as a result—then, by the same logic, the City should also consider closing Van Nuys Airport and LAX, where large jet traffic could be argued to pose an even greater risk. Yet, ironically, many airport opponents likely have no problem flying out of LAX.
If those seeking closure and development at Whiteman airport truly supported Barton heliport, and if they truly understood the dynamics involved, they would know that the airport tower controls the local airspace, without which, fast and safe departures would be a thing of the past, and without Whiteman’s runway that can allow for additional transportation needs, and without the available land space for an equipment/supplies staging area, efficient firefighting would be compromised.
FAA guidance on closing an airport granted perpetuity does not allow the property to be repurposed for non-aviation use. See the Airport Improvement Program details.
I am also stunned that some who propose closing the airport do so to protect the Latino and other community residents. I will try to make it clear. If Whiteman closes and real estate development begins, the entire surrounding area will become gentrified, meaning many current residents will be forced to leave their homes due to increased rents, or building demolition and construction. Keeping Whiteman open is the only way to enhance the LA Basin, and at the same time PROTECT area residents! Please stand up for the truth and fight misrepresentation!
Thank you for your attention.
Ron Berinstein, Director, Southern California Aviation United Working Group (SCAUWG.ORG)