Plane That Landed On Hwy 101 Had Engine Trouble

A small plane that landed on U.S. Highway 101 near Morgan Hill on Saturday night was experiencing engine trouble, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A 20-year-old Madera man was piloting a Cessna airplane that made an emergency landing on southbound Highway 101 near Coyote Creek Golf Drive, CHP officials said.

Two CHP officers arrived to the scene where they found the plane was on the left shoulder, partially blocking a lane, according to the CHP. The pilot told officers that there were four people on the aircraft without any injuries, CHP officials said.

He told the officers that he had departed from Harris Ranch Airport near Coalinga in Fresno County for Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, according to the CHP. While flying the plane’s engine failed and the pilot determined that Highway 101 would be the best place for an emergency landing, CHP officials said.

The pilot landed the plane without incident and contacted CHP dispatch on his cellphone. Two lanes were closed for the plane to be loaded on a tow truck, CHP officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and will investigate the incident, according to the CHP.

--Bay City News

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