Like something out of a scene from an action movie a small plane crashed on Freeway 91 just outside of Los Angeles in Corona, California, Tuesday, creating a huge fireball in the middle of lunchtime traffic. Incredibly, no one was hurt in the crash or ensuing fireball.
Pilot Andrew Cho told California Highway Patrol his single-engine Piper Cherokee experienced unexpected engine failure during his final approach to Corona Municipal Airport, KTLA reports.
“It felt like a hard bump. Hard to describe,” Cho said. “We were four to five feet in the air when the plane stalled completely and fell to the ground.”
The pilot credited his training for the successful crash landing.
“Your training kicks in and you do the right thing. As long as you don’t panic, you get the best outcome,” Cho said.
Can you imagine seeing this mess in your rearview mirror? Anyone driving on the 91 yesterday who used to wonder what they’d do if they were suddenly dropped in the middle of an action movie now knows the answer.
The plane crashed into a Toyota pickup truck carrying three people before sliding across all lanes of traffic and into an on ramp. From the Los Angeles Times:
According to the Corona Fire Department, the single-engine plane crashed on the freeway near Buena Vista Avenue around 12:31 p.m. and went up in flames. The two people onboard were able to escape without injuries, authorities said. Fire crews quickly put out the fire.
California Highway Patrol Officer Keith Ballantyne told The Times that the plane was attempting to land at the Corona Municipal Airport and experienced a “possible engine failure,” forcing it to make an emergency landing on the freeway.
All three passengers in the Toyota and the plane’s pilot and passenger walked away unscathed. California Highway Patrol and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident. Traffic on the eastbound lanes of 91 was backed up for the rest of the day