Newsday

AP Top News - 05/28/2000 Plane Crashes in Parking Lot, 3 Die

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (AP) -- A small plane crashed on a suburban street Sunday, killing three people, authorities said.

Luis Diaz, an operations officer with the Federal Aviation Administration, said all three were believed to have been aboard the plane.

The single-engine Piper went down about noon, moments after takeoff from nearly Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Diaz said. He did not know where it was heading.

The pilot didn't report any problems before the plane went down on near a mall that includes a supermarket and a fast-food restaurant, police Lt. James McInerny said.

Marisela Guerrero, 25, was working at the drive-through window of a Taco Bell restaurant about 50 feet from where the plane came to a rest on a sidewalk.

About 20 people were inside the restaurant at the time, she said. ''I came inside and said (to the customers) 'Go, go, go!''' Everyone ran out, she said.

The plane caught fire but was quickly extinguished. An hour after the crash, only a pile of burnt metal remained.

Southern California Edison crews were at the scene to repair downed power lines.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), May 28, 2000