Hawthorne plane crash leaves 2 in critical condition

Two people were critically injured in a single-engine Piper PA-24 airplane that crashed Friday in a parking lot in Hawthorne.

The crash occurred around 12:40 a.m. and firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department were called to the scene at Hawthorne Boulevard and 126th Street, where they found the plane on fire and the critically injured parties.

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"No one on the ground was injured and no property was damaged," said LACFD Capt. Sheila Kelliher-Berkoh said in an interview near the crash site.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, according to the FAA.

"A single-engine Piper PA-24 crashed near El Segundo Boulevard in Hawthorne, California, around 12:35 a.m. local time on Friday, September 6," the FAA said in a statement to City News Service. "Two people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates."

NBC 4 reported the crash occurred in an area dense with commercial business, near residences and not far from Hawthorne City Hall.

The single-engine plane appeared to be descending at nearby Hawthorne Municipal Airport, "but that is still to be determined," Kelliher-Berkoh said.

The injured parties were taken to a hospital for treatment.

According to NBC 4, the plane was registered out of Culver City.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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