A small plane that made headlines when it
landed safely on a Southern California freeway 16 years ago crashed on the same
stretch of road Saturday, slamming into a car and killing a passenger in the
backseat of the vehicle. Five other people were injured,
including the pilot and a passenger aboard the plane.
According to witnesses, the
single-engine, two-seat Lancair IV plane appeared to be having issues before
turning sharply and coming down on Interstate 15, about 50 miles north of San
Diego. One man said he didn't hear the plane's engine as it passed overhead.
The driver of the auto had pulled
over to synchronize his Bluetooth when the plane crash landed on the freeway,
sliding 250 feet and slamming into the back of his Nissan. The impact pushed
the rear bumper nearly all the way into the back seat of the vehicle. The
California Highway Patrol (CHP) said there was no evidence landing gear was
deployed; it appears the plane had mechanical problems. The National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) are investigating the crash; officials said it is unclear whether there
was a black box on the plane.
Interstate 15 is a popular route
for flying because there are fewer flight restrictions than along the
Interstate 5 corridor, but the fly zone has had its fair share of emergency
landings. That same stretch of highway has been the site of several similar
incidents in the past, according to CHP Officer Chris Parent. Matt Nokes, a
former MLB player and original owner of the Lancair IV, was piloting the plane
on its second flight in February 2000 when the engine quit and he safely landed
on the busy freeway. According to Nokes, a fuel problem led to that
crash, but he never learned what caused the problem. Nokes went on to fly the
plane regularly before selling it in 2004. Dennis Hogge, the pilot in the
recent crash, is the plane’s registered owner, although FAA records show the
plane’s registration had expired.
Did pilot error cause or contribute to the
accident? Was there a mechanical problem, known or unknown? Was the aircraft
properly maintained and inspected? If investigators determine that this
accident resulted from defective equipment or poor maintenance, the owner of
the plane, parts manufacturers, and/or inspectors could be held liable.
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