"Kudos To The Pilot"

A mistake a lot of reporters make is becoming too involved in a story -- making themselves, instead of events, the focus of their reportage. But you know, sometimes, it just can't be helped.

A Cessna 172 flying traffic reporters around California's Castro Valley apparently ran out of fuel Monday morning. The pilot was forced to land on Interstate 580. He apparently did a pretty good job -- neither the pilot nor the reporter was hurt.

"Kudos to the pilot," said California Highway Patrol Officer Steve Tress. But those kudos may be a little premature. Tress said the Highway Patrol had determined the aircraft's fuel tanks were bone dry.

The FAA said the aircraft, which was contracted by Metro Networks and flown for San Francisco's KCBS, had been flying for more than three hours and was headed to Hayward Executive Airport when the engine stopped running.

The pilot asked not to be identified. The reporter flying right-seat, however, was interviewed by KCBS shortly after the emergency landing. He told anchors the Cessna began "spitting and sputtering, indicating fuel loss." He said the pilot chose to put down on the highway after deciding that landing on a nearby school playground would endanger children there.

Both men could very well owe their lives to an unidentified motorist who, apparently seeing the 172 in trouble, weaved back and forth on the highway to create a break in the traffic and allow the plane to land.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 734NG    Make/Model: C172   Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
 Date: 05/24/2004   Time: 1525
 Event Type: Incident  Highest Injury: None   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: None
LOCATION
 City: HAYWARD           State: CA  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
ACFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON HIGHWAY I-580 REPORTEDLY, DUE TO FUEL EXHAUTION, 0825 PDT, 3 MILES NORTH OF HAYWARD, CA

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  0
         # Crew:  2   Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Pass:   0   Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:        Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
WEATHER: METAR KHWD 241554Z 17010KT 10SM SCT022 BKN028 14/10 A2994         
OTHER DATA
 Activity: Unknown   Phase: Landing   Operation: General Aviation
 Departed: UNK             Dep Date:  Dep. Time:  
 Destination: UNK           Flt Plan: UNK     Wx Briefing: U
 Last Radio Cont: UNK  Last Clearance: UNK
 FAA FSDO: OAKLAND, CA (WP27)          Entry date: 05/25/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov