Plane Hit by 3 Cars After Calif. Freeway Landing

NYTimes ^ | August 23, 2009

[Steelfish]

Plane Hit by 3 Cars After Calif. Freeway Landing

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS August 23, 2009

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities say a small airplane was struck by three vehicles just after it made an emergency landing on a California freeway.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the Piper PA-24 Comanche with two people on board was bound for Santa Barbara Airport Sunday when the pilot told air traffic controllers he had no fuel remaining and landed on the southbound side of U.S. Highway 101, about one mile northeast of the airport.

California Highway Patrol Officer James Richards says three cars were unable to avoid the plane and crashed into it. He says the occupants of the plane and the cars were not injured.

Richards says traffic briefly backed up for miles while crews shut down the freeway to remove the plane.

[jongaltsr]

TFB

[Krankor]

I was always taught to keep at least two car lengths between my vehicle and any car or airplane in front of me.

[NCjim]

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the Piper PA-24 Comanche with two people on board was bound for Santa Barbara Airport Sunday when the pilot told air traffic controllers he had no fuel remaining and landed on the southbound side of U.S. Highway 101

I am glad that nobody was hurt. I also hope that they throw the book at this guy who has no excuse for cutting it so close on the fuel.

[Joe Boucher]

One thing I am so very careful of is fuel on board.
HOw much did I have upon takeoff and how long have I flown at what RPM. And what was the wind during flight?
Yes this guy deserves to lose his license.

[ninergold3]

Explain that to your insurance company:

"Well, it was like this officer, I was cruising along when the plane in front of me slammed on his brakes. . ."

[2111USMC]

Slightly off topic, but I had something happen to me on a commercial flight recently that I had never experienced before.

We were on CRJ400 getting ready to take off out of Memphis for Houston. We taxi all the way to the runway and the pilot gets on the intercom and tells everyone that there is gong to be a slight delay because he had to burn some fuel off because we were too heavy for takeoff. We sat there for almost 10 minutes burning up av gas. I doubt that Al Gore would have approved.

[Disambiguator]

Some days you hit the plane, other days the plane hits you.

[Anti-Kenyan]

Technically it was jet fuel, not avgas. ;>

[2111USMC]

Yep you’re right, JP something or other.

[FourPeas]

ROFL! That reminds me of a time when I was a rookie pilot in a 152 and told to expedite on a landing, drop it on the numbers, keep my speed up and take the first high-speed taxiway. I'd forgotten the approach controller had told me there was a 747 in the pattern. Just as I hit the parallel taxiway there was a very loud whoosh behind me. The poor pilot of the 747 must have been calling me every name in the book.

[Neidermeyer]

Yes this guy deserves to lose his license.
************************************************
I had a magneto go out once ... my fuel burn increased by about 15% .. I had no idea until I refueled and took on much more than expected and did the runup/prop/magneto check..

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[CodeToad]

Seems someone might have forgotten that little FAR about reserve fuel times. It’s the small things like fuel and altitude that can make all the difference in the world.

[dalereed]

“Yep you’re right, JP something or other.”

Try Jet-A

[Joe Boucher]

You mean you followed your check list?