Plane makes emergency landing on Calif. highway
ROCKLIN, Calif. (AP) - A small plane has made an emergency landing in traffic on a highway median in the Sacramento area.
The California Highway Patrol says the aircraft landed safely Wednesday morning on a grassy center divide of Highway 65 near Rocklin as cars whizzed by. No injuries were reported.
Pilot John Mares says he was testing a new engine on the Beech BE35-33A when it lost power at about 3,500 feet, leaving him with no choice but to find a place to land.
A mechanic was on scene to see if the fuel pump failed. The highway remained open although traffic slowed down to see the plane.
The FAA says an inspector is on the scene. The CHP will close the northbound lane if the plane is cleared to take off.
The California Highway Patrol says the aircraft landed safely Wednesday morning on a grassy center divide of Highway 65 near Rocklin as cars whizzed by. No injuries were reported.
Pilot John Mares says he was testing a new engine on the Beech BE35-33A when it lost power at about 3,500 feet, leaving him with no choice but to find a place to land.
A mechanic was on scene to see if the fuel pump failed. The highway remained open although traffic slowed down to see the plane.
The FAA says an inspector is on the scene. The CHP will close the northbound lane if the plane is cleared to take off.
I hope his tray was in the upright position.
But Officer, I didn't think I was bothering anyone at 3500 feet.
so much for 'free to move about the country'....I guess it's 'free to move about Sacramento' today.
Looks like a nice enough place to have a little picnic.
In Sac Town?
Was he able to utilize the HOV lane?
@Kushfan No. He was flying solo.
"The CHP will close the northbound lane if the plane is cleared to take off."
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Fun. We used to use the highway in Alaska as a runway. Just look for cars, which were rare, and pull out and take off. Taxi and take off were one in the same as we never spent a lot of time on the highway powering up the engine.
Great landing!
I guess this is the reason why pilots love the highways , I have heard that they can in case of emergence land on the road its self...
 @lee986321Â
The DOD built the freeway system after WW2 to get troops from one side of the country to the other quickly. One of the requirements for the freeway was that they had to have areas that would allow it to be used as a runway for the military for landing large transports. It is till true to this day and the military knows where these areas are.
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So landing a plane on the freeway is really using it for what it was designed for, at least in some areas.
@lee986321 That is exactly correct, Lee. That airplane touched down at about 75 mph and takes about a quarter of a mile to stop, so if traffic is going along and there aren't overpasses or curves, the Interstates are ideal. Headed to Texas in a Tiger tomorrow, taking I-5 south (@ ~150mph) for the first leg. Excited!
 @Playanekes  @lee986321Â
Plus he did it dead stick.
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Thankfully is wasn't rush hour or he would have had to use the roofs of the cars to land on...8-}
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Have fun on your trip. No dead stick freeway landings.
Glad no one was hurt.