A small plane crashed into a packed parking lot near the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip on Sunday, November 17, 2024, interrupting the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) finals. The NHRA finals, a highly anticipated event in the drag racing calendar, took a shocking turn when the single-engine Piper PA-32 aircraft attempted to make an emergency landing. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the plane carried four passengers en route to Brackett Field Airport just west of the race track.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft flying at an unusually low altitude before it suddenly descended into the parking area. Elaine Hernandez, a spectator at the event, told ABC News, “We just saw the plane with the smoke behind it, and the next time we looked up, it was already on the ground.” Video footage from the moment of impact shows the plane crashing into the packed parking lot, leaving witnesses stunned.
Aftermath Of The Plane Crash
The crash resulted in significant damage to multiple vehicles in the parking lot. Initial reports from the FAA indicated that the aircraft struck two vehicles and a trailer. A later report by ABC News notes damage to at least five cars and three RVs in the incident. The impact of the crash and the subsequent jet fuel spill also required a swift response from hazardous materials crews.
Los Angeles County Fire Department public information officer Jonathan Torres informed The Los Angeles Times about the jet fuel spill, highlighting the additional dangers posed by the crash. The fire department later updated People, stating that there were “4 patients total, two critical, two moderate, all from the plane, no patients from the ground.”
Despite the situation’s gravity, the NHRA decided to continue with the racing event after a short delay. In a statement on its website, the organization explained that they had been “working closely with the Pomona Police Department and L.A. County Fire Department” and were “guided to continue racing.”
