Plane Takes Off in SJ, Crash Lands in SoCal
Pilot and passenger walk away unhurt
By JACK NOYES
Updated 7:02 AM PST, Wed, Jan 7, 2009
A twin-engine plane made an emergency landing at Santa Monica Airport Tuesday night and it gave eyewitnesses a good scare.
The flight originated in San Jose.
People told Channel 4 News the plane landing gear collapsed and the fuselage skidded across the runway before grinding to a stop. The plane was not on fire when it crashed, but a witness said firefighters sprayed the plane down with fire foam just to be safe.
A witness eating dinner at 6:40 p.m. at the airport restaurant said he observed the pilot and passenger walk away from the wreckage unharmed. A Santa Monica Fire spokesman said no one was reported injured.
Images transmitted from Telecopter 4 to the Channel 4 newsroom indicated one of the twin-turboprop Beechcraft King Air 100 engines might have caught fire. This has not been officially confirmed.
Another witness said there was a loud boom when the plane hit the ground and that the noise from the crash was heard throughout the airport.
The number “N45LU” was painted on the side of the aircraft. A check on website www.flightaware.com indicated the plane departed from San Jose International Airport at 5:27 p.m. with a scheduled arrival at Santa Monica Airport of 6:29 p.m.
First Published: Jan 7, 2009 6:10 AM PST
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