Total Of Six People Involved, With One Car Fatality

Rare though these accidents may be, the difficulties involved in deadsticking an airplane onto an occupied highway is not for the faint of heart... or the less than skillful.

A Southern California Lancair IV accident, about 50 miles North of San Diego resulted in a landing in Interstate 15 where all those onboard the Lancair fared better than those in a car stopped on the side of the road. Still; both of the aircraft's occupants did receive significant injuries.

According to local sources, the Lancair, N438Y (shown) managed to avoid moving traffic in the approach and touchdown on the Interstate but failed to avoid a small vehicle stopped to the right of the highway. One woman, in the back of the vehicle, perished as the nose of the Lancair pretty much took out most of the rear of the car as the mass/inertia of the decelerating Lancair was expended in the impact. The Continental Motors TSIO-550-E powered Lancair IVP was owned by Dennis Hogge (but not the original builder) and was based n Canby, OR. Two people were on board the aircraft and four were in the Nissan Sentra. The woman killed in the Nissan was a 38 year old San Diego resident.

Uniquely; this is not the first time that this airplane has executed an emergency landing. Reports indicate that the airplane made a more successful landing on I-15 in 2000, under the pilotage of the original builder.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov