Women Piloting The Aircraft Had Been A Contestant On 'The Bachelor'

A two-place Airborne XT-912 went down with one person on board Monday shortly after takeoff from the Hawthorne (CA) Municipal Airport, according to city authorities.

In a news release, the Hawthorne police department said that police officers were dispatched on a report of an airplane crash in the area of 120th Street & Crenshaw Blvd. Officers located a small, single-seat aircraft on fire in the 3300 block of 120th Street, directly north of Hawthorne Airport. A nearby construction crew witnessed the crash and was able to remove the pilot (sole occupant) from the wreckage prior to the arrival of emergency services. The pilot of the aircraft was treated by LA County Fire personnel, and transported by ambulance to Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Carson. Unfortunately, the pilot did not survive. No individuals on the ground were injured as a result of the incident.

The only person aboard the aircraft was a woman, who was later identified by Life and Style magazine as Erin Storm, who had been a contestant on the TV show "The Bachelor" in 2008.

There was minimal property damage to the street and sidewalk where the airplane impacted, according to the news release.

The airplane crash is being investigated by both the FAA, as well as the NTSB. The aircraft crash resulted in a road closure of 120th Street, between Crenshaw Blvd. (on the east) and Kornblum Avenue. We estimate a road closure involving 120th Street, between Crenshaw Blvd. and Kornblum Avenue.

At the same time of today’s incident, a Hawthorne police officer responding to the airplane crash call became involved in a traffic collision in the 11900 block of Prairie Avenue. Two adult individuals from the other vehicle, as well as the officer, were ultimately treated and transported to a local hospital for assessments. The traffic accident is being investigated by the Gardena Police Department.

(Image from the Hawthorne Police Department Facebook page)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov