Small plane crashes in Compton neighborhood

No injuries were reported.

COMPTON, Calif. - An investigation is underway after a small plane made a hard landing in a Compton neighborhood Wednesday.

According to officials, the single-engine Cessna 172 landed on a residential street on 159th Street around 8:30 a.m. after losing engine power while taking off from Compton/Woodley Airport.

The plane's left wing struck a parked car. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was not seriously injured, authorities said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

City Councilman Jonathan Bowers was at the scene and said air safety is one of the public safety issues being addressed in the city of Compton.

"It's ironic that our public safety comission has convened and we are addressing issues like this - airport safety - as well as other safety issues within the city," he said.

Small plane emergency lands on Compton street

It's unclear why the plane was forced to make the emergency landing close to the Compton/Woodley Airport.

Bowers said it's important to address these safety issues as this isn't the first time a plane has crashed in a residential area close to the airport.

Earlier this month on a Sept. 3, a small plane crashed into a residential fence along the wash at Oleander Avenue and Alondra Boulevard. The plane was taking off when it had to return to the airport after an unspecified mechanical malfunction.

In 2008, several people were critically injured after a twin-engine Cessna 310 airplane crashed in the 500 block of West Cypress, about a quarter-block from the airport.