What happened
On September 6, 2024, at 00:36 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, registration N588CP, was destroyed during an accident near Hawthorne, California. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use, with the intent to perform pattern work at Jack Northrup Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR).
Witnesses near the departure end of the runway reported hearing a sputtering engine as the aircraft departed. One resident observed the airplane in a nose-up attitude, appearing to attempt to gain altitude before it continued to descend and entered a left turn. Security camera footage from Hawthorne City Hall and a nearby hotel captured the final moments of the flight, showing the aircraft in a left-wing low attitude. The airplane struck a light pole before impacting the ground, which resulted in a post-impact fire.
The aircraft came to rest upright on a city street approximately 1 mile southwest of HHR. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained two serious injuries.