G.A. aircraft down near Watsonville Sunday... Pilot OK
AirDOGGe: They say any landing you can walk away from,......Well, you know the rest...
- A pilot made an emergency landing in an apple orchard off Freedom Boulevard on Sunday afternoon and walked away from the impromptu landing uninjured, sheriff's deputies said.
Authorities responded to a report of a downed plane about 12:40 p.m. approximately one-half mile from Watsonville Municipal Airport off Freedom Boulevard between Airport Boulevard and Buena Vista Drive.
The pilot works for a local skydiving company and was on his way back from a skydiving trip when the 1956 Cessna 182 experienced a power surge and then complete engine failure about three miles from the airport, Sgt. Robin Mitchell said.
The pilot put the plane in a glide pattern and was able to clear some tall trees near Corralitos Creek to land in a safe spot, Mitchell said.
Some trees were damaged, she said. But the property owner, a local firefighter, and emergency responders on scene were more focused on the pilot surviving the crash, Mitchell said.
"Everyone is just relieved that the pilot is OK," she said.
Deputies contacted the Federal Aviation Administration, which referred them to the National Transportation Safety Board, Mitchell said. That agency will work with the plane owner to see what caused the engine to fail, she said.
The pilot was experienced and appeared to be in his mid-40s, she said.
Plane from skydiving company crash-lands in Watsonville-area orchard
- A pilot made an emergency landing in an apple orchard off Freedom Boulevard on Sunday afternoon and walked away from the impromptu landing uninjured, sheriff's deputies said.
Authorities responded to a report of a downed plane about 12:40 p.m. approximately one-half mile from Watsonville Municipal Airport off Freedom Boulevard between Airport Boulevard and Buena Vista Drive.
The pilot works for a local skydiving company and was on his way back from a skydiving trip when the 1956 Cessna 182 experienced a power surge and then complete engine failure about three miles from the airport, Sgt. Robin Mitchell said.
The pilot put the plane in a glide pattern and was able to clear some tall trees near Corralitos Creek to land in a safe spot, Mitchell said.
Some trees were damaged, she said. But the property owner, a local firefighter, and emergency responders on scene were more focused on the pilot surviving the crash, Mitchell said.
"Everyone is just relieved that the pilot is OK," she said.
Deputies contacted the Federal Aviation Administration, which referred them to the National Transportation Safety Board, Mitchell said. That agency will work with the plane owner to see what caused the engine to fail, she said.
The pilot was experienced and appeared to be in his mid-40s, she said.
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