JULY 16, 2009 - Three occupants of a Beechcraft G36 Bonanza died when their plane crashed into a parking lot adjacent to Hawthorne Airport, authorities said. The accident occurred at 4:24 p.m. just south of the airport. The 2005 plane took off from the airport about 4:20 p.m. and the pilot immediately reported mechanical problems, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The aircraft scraped the side of a building that manufacturers airplane parts before slamming into the parking lot just north of Jack Northrup Avenue, officials said. A vehicle was also hit by wreckage, but nobody on the ground was injured. Witnesses reported hearing what sounded like a trash bin hitting the ground. Rescuers arrived and soaked the scene with foam to prevent about 20 gallons of fuel from leaking into a nearby storm drain. The plane is registered to Carpet Pros Inc. in Lawndale, but the identities of those aboard was not immediately available. A man who answered the phone at the flooring company said the owner of the place was not on board, according to reports. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the place crash.