SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A SOCATA aircraft made an emergency landing on a San Marcos Roadway on Saturday just after 6 p.m.
Dashcam video captured by an eyewitness shows the plane descending dangerously close to drivers.
In air traffic control audio obtained by ABC 10News, the pilot is heard saying, “Tower, we are not making full power. We'd actually like to get down as soon as possible.”
Air traffic control then asks the pilot, “Do you see any roads?” The pilot responds, “Affirmative. We’re going to go for a road.”
Just moments later, the plane landed on Rancho Santa Fe Road and collided with one car. According to the San Marcos Fire Dept.,the two people in that car were taken to the hospital with only minor injuries. The two men on board the plane were uninjured.
“The plane flew overhead…it couldn’t have been more than 100 yards overhead,” said Marc Kerrest, who was at a barbecue nearby with his family. “It could have been much worse. There’s a big wide road that the plane was able to land on but there's a lot of houses around here,” said Kerrest.
The San Marcos Fire Dept. responded to the crash and commended the pilot for the landing.
“He did an amazing job, frankly, on being able land here on Rancho Sante Fe and avoid all the home and structures that were around,” said Battalion Chief David Pender, San Marcos Fire.
The FAA is investigating the crash. NTSB and the San Marcos Sheriff’s Department will also be involved to find out what exactly went wrong.
#BREAKING a small plane made an emergency landing in #SanMarcos. This is on Rancho Santa Fe Rd. We’re told no one died in the crash. Emergency crews are here on scene @10News pic.twitter.com/A9QkSycrwk
— Madison Weil (@MadisonAWeil) July 17, 2022
