Eric Mack On-Line

Just a few hours ago, while driving down I5 to a Human Resource Management class in Santa Clarita, I noticed a low-flying airplane near the tower at Magic Mountain. (20 years ago, as a flight student out of Van Nuys, the flight instructor used to make me fly out to practice maneuvers over the Newhall area, which at the time, was sparsely populated. I thought it odd that a small plane would be flying so low, but I did not give it much thought.) I thought it might be a CHP aircraft on a spotting maneuver. A moment later, the plane was gone.

Suddenly, I noticed a sea of read brake lights in front of me. The small plane, apparently having engine trouble, quickly descended to the freeway, flared to get motorists attention, and then landed on the Southbound Interstate 5, near McBean. I was able to quickly get off the freeway at McBean, so I did not see the plane close-up, but if you saw the news then you know the details. Like a Space Shuttle pilot, this pilot, with no engine, had only one opportunity to make a safe landing, and that he did. Thankfully, no one was injured; the motorists were able to clear the freeway and the pilot was able to land without incident.