PACOIMA, Calif. — Ten-year-old Ethan Vazquez has never been on a plane before, but he dreams of being a pilot.
He lives footsteps away from Whiteman Airport and watches planes land and take off the runway every day.
But his dream has been wiped away by fear, he said.
On November 12, a small plane landing at Whiteman Airport came crashing down onto a neighboring street in Pacoima.
Ethan's grandmother, Eva Avalos, was sitting in her little blue chair in her front yard, a few feet shy of the explosion.
"I [saw] her on the ground, and I helped her get up, and we came inside," Ethan said.
Their lives flashed before their eyes as a pilot lost his life outside their home.
Almost a month later, Ethan's mom, Margarita Lopez, said her son still hears the pilot's voice calling out for help.
"[Ethan] feels guilty that he couldn't save [the pilot]," Lopez said.
Avalos, an immigrant from Mexico, raised her daughter and grandson at Sutter Avenue's home in Pacoima.
Daily reminders of the crash trigger trauma for her, like the once-familiar sound of the planes roaring above.
"Now, when you hear [the planes], [we question] is it going to fall or not?" Lopez said.
Another reminder is the stench from the fire that still lingers in Avalos' hair that sheds from increased stress and anxiety.
She gets emotional thinking about what could've happened to her grandson and if it's not such a close call next time.
Pacoima residents demanded city leaders shut down Whiteman Airport, calling it a health and safety hazard to their community.
"If it [were] in Santa Monica, they would've made a big deal out of it. But due to the fact that it's in a community with pure Latinos, I feel that [the city and airport] doesn't really take consideration," Lopez said.
On Wednesday, the L.A. City Council agreed to start an investigation into Whiteman Airport's toxic impact on the community. The Federal Aviation Administration will review it.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the 7th District, called for environmental justice for the community in a Facebook statement:
"I call on the County to make immediate investments and seriously evaluate alternative uses for the property to provide economic opportunity, housing and open space for this community. It's long past due to deliver substantial economic investment and environmental justice for a community that has borne the burden and no benefit from operations."
While they're happy to hear there is a possibility the airport may be closed, the Lopez-Avalos family said they still wish it didn't take a plane to fall in front of their home for the change to be considered.
"I don't wish this upon anybody because it's a scary feeling," Avalos said.
A scary feeling Ethan is optimistic he'll overcome, he said.
