Saratoga Didn't Quite Make It To RDU

Forget the airport. Did 23-year old Daniel Bowers miss his exit?

Bowers, flying for Package Express, was forced down after an airport spokeswoman said his Piper PA-32 Saratoga (file photo of type, above) lost oil pressure. Unable to make it back to Raleigh-Durham Airport (NC), he opted for a landing on nearby I-540.

The pilot, from Charlotte (NC), wasn't hurt and his plane wasn't damaged. That stretch of I-540 -- Aviation Parkway -- had to be shut down for several hours as a tug from the field drove over, hooked up and hauled the Saratoga back to its base at Southern Jet.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: RCY134        Make/Model: PA32      Description: PA-32 Cherokee Six, Six, Saratoga, Turbo
  Date: 03/31/2004     Time: 1843

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: None

LOCATION
  City: RALEIGH                     State: NC   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  RCY 134, AIR TAXI, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER EXPERIENCING AN OIL
  PRESSURE PROBLEM ON DEPARTURE, AND LANDED ON A ROAD, RALEIGH, NC

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:          Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: 10SM BKN020 BKN200 16/10 A2974                                             
                                                                                    
                                                        

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: Air Taxi (On Demand)

  Departed: RALEIGH, NC                 Dep Date: 03/31/2004   Dep. Time: 1843
  Destination: CONCORD, NC              Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: N
  Last Radio Cont: ROY134 STOPPED ON THE ROAD
  Last Clearance: CLRD TO LAND

  FAA FSDO: WINSTON-SALEM, NC  (SO05)             Entry date: 04/01/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov