autoevolution
 

Watch Small Plane Make a Dramatic Crash Landing on Freeway in California

We all learned that the airplane is the safest transportation means by far. This is why emergency landings are rare. Planes landing on a highway are even less frequent, and still, we already talk about a second highway landing in a month.
Small plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in California 9 photos
Photo: KTLA on Youtube
Small plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in CaliforniaSmall plane makes dramatic crash landing on 91 Freeway in California
The accident happened on the 91 Freeway in Riverside County Tuesday afternoon, after a single-engine Piper Cherokee experienced an engine failure. According to the California Highway Patrol, the plane fell from the sky in the eastbound lanes of the freeway near Lincoln Avenue. The moment was captured on video, likely from a dashboard camera installed on a vehicle driving in the same lane.

The video shows the Piper losing altitude fast and dropping like a rock in what appears to be a small gap in traffic. The shock punctured the fuel tanks, which burst into flames while the plane slid toward the sound barrier. A truck carrying three people was also hit on the ground. According to the pilot, the airplane was on the final descent toward Corona Municipal Airport when the engine started to choke, and the plane lost altitude.

“It felt like a hard bump. Hard to describe,” the pilot Andrew Cho said to the KTLA news channel. “We were four to five feet in the air when the plane stalled completely and fell to the ground. Your training kicks in and you do the right thing. As long as you don’t panic, you get the best outcome.”

Miraculously, both the pilot and the passenger on the plane and all three truck occupants escaped without injuries. This is incredible, considering how busy the freeway was at the time. An FAA investigation is on course to find out what went wrong.

This accident happened just one month after another small plane landed on a highway in North Carolina following a similar engine problem. In that case, the pilot was fortunate to have an almost empty stretch of tarmac for himself, so there were no flames and less drama.


If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories