The pilot of a small private plane had to make an emergency landing on Thursday night, landing in the southbound lanes of the Interstate 5 Freeway near Carlsbad.
According to a report appearing on the ABC 7 website, the California Highway Patrol told reporters that the plane had been making its final approach to land at the Palomar Airport when the cockpit filled with smoke and lost all power.
The pilot brought the plane down onto the southbound lanes of the I-5 at a steep decline, causing it to careen into the center divider of the highway where it came to rest. Firefighters were on hand in case the aircraft caught fire.
The Cessna’s flight plan indicates that the flight originated in West Covina in Los Angeles and was heading to Carlsbad. Onboard were a man and a woman who was flying into the Palomar Airport. Both were uninjured in the incident. Authorities have not yet released their identities.
Emergency crews were able to remove fuel from the stranded single-engine aircraft before it was loaded by crane onto a truck and taken off the freeway. The damage to the plane does not appear to be extensive.
No one on the ground was injured during the emergency landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected to investigate the crash further.
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