Airplane makes crash landing at Chino Hills golf course
From the Associated Press:
CHINO HILLS -- A pilot whose small plane ran out of fuel had to crash-land on a Southern California golf course and ran into a golf cart moments after two men had abandoned it, but no one was injured.
Pilot Phil Samuelian of Pasadena told a TV station he was flying his 1968 Cessna 177 from Kernville to Corona on Sunday when he had to land near the driving range and clubhouse and hit the cart and a flagpole at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.
Golfers told the TV station that about 20 people on the driving range had to scramble to avoid the plane.
Witnesses said the two men who fled from the cart finished their round.
A phone message left with the Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately returned.
2 Comments
Leave a comment
CONTRIBUTORS
|
| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
|
|
Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
Absolutely ridiculous. The plane has 2 tanks, gauges, and a pilot ALWAYS should be aware of his fuel situation. 90% of private crashes are caused by idiots like this due to fuel startvation. Unless he has a valid excuse (like a sudden leak), his license should be pulled.
Plus, he said on the news he was at 9,000 feet when the engine sputtered. Well, the Chino airport is right next to where he was, and at 9K feet, he had PLENTY of time to land - even on an old road in the countryside.
Sounds like a completely incompetent pilot.
Well, good thing no one was hurt. Pilots should really be cautious about these things, I don't think there was a leak so he should have foreseen this before he took off.