Pilot Declared Emergency, Avoided Coastal Power Plant

Two persons onboard a vintage T-28 Trojan escaped without injury Tuesday, when their aircraft suffered an apparent engine fire that forced them to ditch the aircraft on a beach near Oxnard, CA.

Officials told the Ventura (CA) County Star the plane (file photo of type, above) came to rest within a half-mile stretch of sand at Mandalay Beach Park, near the exclusive Oxnard Shores community. The aircraft was part of a flight of two T-28s heading to Oxnard Airport, about three miles away.

"This huge fireball came out from underneath it," said witness William Wolf. "I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like a bad dream."

Wolf said the plane initially descended towards the ocean, before it turned and headed for the beach. The aircraft narrowly avoided the Reliant Energy Plant near Mandalay Beach, he added.

"It was obvious that something was really wrong," witness Charolette McDonald added. She told police she was driving in the area when she saw the plane.

Firefighters arrived at the scene quickly, and doused the wreckage in flame-retardant chemicals. The plane remained on the beach overnight, as officials determined how best to remove it.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 328RB        Make/Model: T28       Description: T-28, AT-28, TROJAN
  Date: 04/24/2007     Time: 2104

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

LOCATION
  City: OXNARD   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY DUE TO AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND FORCE LANDED ON
  THE BEACH, OXNARD, CA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     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: KCMA 2100Z 25010KT 10SM SKC 20/08 A3012

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: CAMARILLO, CA               Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: CAMARILLO, CA            Flt Plan: VFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA  (WP01)                  Entry date: 04/25/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov