Small Plane Makes Crash-Landing on Highway 101

Pilot attempts freeway landing after running out of gas; no serious injuries in collision with three vehicles

Sunday morning's small plane crash left the aircraft with major damage but those involved in the Highway 101 accident had only minor injuries.
Sunday morning’s small plane crash left the aircraft with major damage but those involved in the Highway 101 accident had only minor injuries. (California Highway Patrol photo)

By William M. Macfadyen, Noozhawk Publisher | updated logo 5:15 p.m. | Published on 08.23.2009

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A small plane ran out of gas and crash-landed on southbound Highway 101 south of Patterson Avenue on Sunday morning. There were no injuries in the accident, but three vehicles collided with the aircraft.

According to California Highway Patrol spokesman James Richards, the plane, a 1965 Piper Comanche 260 flown by Kris Michel, 42, of Temecula, ran out of gas on the way to the Santa Barbara Airport.

Michel and his wife, Alison, were flying from Temecula when their plane lost power about two miles from the airport. Michel switched gas tanks, but he was unable to regain power, Richards said. A Mayday call was made and Michel said he would need to make an emergency landing on the northbound freeway. CHP units quickly responded but had no time to make any attempt to clear the freeway, Richards said.

As Michel descended about 10:35 a.m., he was unable to maintain control of the plane and it veered into oncoming southbound traffic, Richards said. While in the air, CHP officers said, the plane’s tail section clipped a Chevy Suburban driven by Angel Reyes, 36, of Santa Barbara. As it touched down it was struck by a Honda Accord driven by Samjay Mitter, 44, of Oxnard. The impact spun the plane around and a Volkswagen Golf driven by Marlene Tutogi, 33, of Oxnard, ran under the aircraft’s tail.

A passenger in the Suburban — Francisco Cermeno, 18, of Santa Barbara — was transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as a precaution. He was later released.

Mitter, Reyes, Tutogi and the passengers in Tutogi’s car — her young daughter, who was in a child safety seat, and her mother, Martha Sauceda, 55, of Santa Maria — were not injured.

In addition to the CHP, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s and county fire personnel quickly responded to the scene.

Amy Mallet, senior director of the Goleta Valley Senior Center, told Noozhawk about 10:45 a.m. that the plane landed on top of a white vehicle and that four vehicles appeared to be involved in the crash. According to Mallet, no one appeared to be badly hurt.

Noozhawk contributor Melissa Marsted was driving to UCSB for Sunday’s youth soccer finals and was caught in the northbound traffic backup from the crash. She described the scene as having “the most fire engines I have ever seen.”

Click here for a Planet Santa Barbara video of the accident.

Authorities closed the southbound Patterson onramp, and southbound Highway 101 was reduced to one lane as tow trucks began to clear the wreckage. Northbound 101 was open, but was stop-and-go past the accident scene. Motorists were advised to use Cathedral Oaks Road or Hollister Avenue as alternate routes. By noon Sunday, all lanes and onramps were reopened to traffic.

The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident, officials said Sunday night.

Noozhawk readers are invited to submit their photos to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Staff writer Giana Magnoli contributed to this report and can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) contributed to this report. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk.

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» Alo on 08.23.09 @ 10:49 AM

yeyeyeyeye

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» T Rock on 08.23.09 @ 10:55 AM

You guys got the scoop (on the net anyways)!! Breaking news..good job…

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» Thanks Noozhawk! on 08.23.09 @ 11:05 AM

A friend driving on the 101 texted me to find out what was up with the traffic and all the fire engines racing by. I went on Noozhawk and you already had a story! Niiiiice!

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» Courtney Klone on 08.23.09 @ 11:14 AM

The plane crash landed about 10 cars in front of us. It was crazy! People stopping and running everywhere even across the freeway to help and take pictures. We continued to drive by and just sent you a couple photos from our camera phone.

[Noozhawk’s note: Thank you! Glad everyone is OK.]

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» macy and james on 08.23.09 @ 11:41 AM

It was the coolest thing ever.  Dunebuggies next.

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» MarieT on 08.23.09 @ 11:45 AM

Pictures?

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» rubberneck on 08.23.09 @ 11:49 AM

Where’s the pics?

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» Carmen on 08.23.09 @ 01:01 PM

When will the names of the people on the plane be released? I am hoping it was not my friends.

[Noozhawk’s note: We’re still working on the story.]

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» Vince Kotowski on 08.23.09 @ 03:15 PM

I was stopped on Hwy. 154 traveling north west before the entrance to Cachuma camp ground entrance at around 2:00 p.m.. I saw three ambulances traveling the opposite way toward SB.. Cars were backed up for miles. I called 911 and suggest that the HP should divert traffic away from Rt.154 at the SB end. Didn’t happen.

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» ashton on 08.23.09 @ 05:14 PM

This guy needs his FAA license revoked ASAP….“I ran out of gas” is an excuse only a teenager gets to use.  And that’s only once.

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» Nate on 08.23.09 @ 06:32 PM

P.P.P on the pilot’s part. Piss Poor Planning!!  This needs to stop!

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» Matthew B. on 08.23.09 @ 08:47 PM

Why no calls for a lifetime revoke of auto license when you run out of gas or fail to make a proper lane change?  There’s dozens of crashes per day in LA, but no similar outrage.

Running out of gas is one of the top 3 causes of airplane crashes.  It can also be caused by water in the gas (Very Common), accidentally selecting the wrong setting on the fuel selector, accidentally pulling the mixture control.

He beginning the most difficult part of the flight, the landing.  Lots of stuff to do in 2 minutes, at about 110mph.

Too bad that he didn’t land with the traffic or come in high enough to make a glide to the airport.

*I’m a commercial pilot and fly a similar class plane from Minden, NV to Livermore, CA weekly.  At night, over Lake Tahoe.  :)

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» Matthew B Lover on 08.23.09 @ 10:14 PM

Matthew B is the coolest person ever, no way he can fly over Lake Tahoe at night.  What a badass

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» Paul Claxon on 08.24.09 @ 06:16 AM

Stupid is as stupid does !  That is the most cardinal sin, to run out of fuel in an aircraft.  duh Guys like him make it rough for us other pilots.

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» morningwood on 08.24.09 @ 07:25 AM

I was playing golf at Muni when this plan flew over.  The engine was sputtering just like a car that is running out of fuel.  I wondered if it would make it to the airport.

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» Lou on 08.24.09 @ 07:56 AM

Couldn’t make it to Ward Memorial? A lot less traffic.

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» Andy on 08.24.09 @ 11:22 AM

I agree with Aston….we have enough bad DRIVERS out there without some moron falling out of the air because he either ran out of gas or decided to switch tanks at such a low elevation

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» chewtoy on 08.24.09 @ 11:24 AM

anyone know what airport this flight left from?

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» JeffC on 08.24.09 @ 12:21 PM

Be careful of criticizing the pilot without knowing the actual situation.  Matthew B made a good point of the possibility of water in the fuel.  I’ve lived long enough and have lots of ground-based equipment to see that problem often.  If that were the problem with the plane, there would be no warning and there would be sputtering before it died, and a gradual loss of power until the engine completely died.  Then to add to that, even a switch to better fuel leaves the water in the line and there is no way the engine would ever restart in the next 15 minutes.

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» Julie Simpson on 08.24.09 @ 02:21 PM

I think a lot of these comments violate your Rule # 1 here: “No personal attacks.” Jeff C. puts it well: be careful criticizing until you have all the facts. I think the choice of words in the phrase “ran out of gas” is unfortunate in the writing of the article, but one can read further and as I read the piece, it says there was an attempt made to switch to the reserve tank, which failed. Something went wrong, and it wasn’t necessarily stupidity on the pilot’s part. An analogy is that sometimes people get flat tires; but we don’t skewer them in online comments for being too stupid to keep air in their tires.

What’s most important is that no one was severely hurt, and that has to speak in some measure to at least some skill on the part of the pilot.

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» Steve M on 08.24.09 @ 02:41 PM

Question.  If you rear end an airplane on the freeway does your insurance company and the CHP still hold you at fault?

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» Michael L on 08.24.09 @ 03:45 PM

My bet is he ran into a head wind for quite a while or he will loose his ticket for a while pluss have to go through a check ride.

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» Raquel H. on 08.24.09 @ 04:36 PM

My mom ant aunt were on this highway when it happened. They were picking up my uncle.

Wow. It’s amazing that nobody was even hurt.

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» Ed on 08.24.09 @ 10:04 PM

I watched him come down in front of me as I traveled northbound on 101.  He swung over 101 from the north but was loosing altitude and speed as he banked first left then, just over the southbound lanes, right.  Without airspeed that was disastrous and he went down in the Southbound lane.  Thank God for no casualties.

Luck was the order of the day.  He crashed in the wrong place having lost control in the final seconds.  Banking looses you altitude quickly and he fell down, he didn’t land.  I speculate on where he might have put down when he realized he was in trouble

At least he must have killed his ignition and that saved at least two lives, his and his wife’s.  Or else there just wasn’t enough gasoline to burn.  SBCPD was there in seconds, well done.

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» Nancy F. on 08.24.09 @ 11:46 PM

We should all be thankful no one was hurt. That’s why they are called accidents. Who are we to judge? We all don’t really know the full details of why he ran out of gas.
I just feel blessed that I decided to leave early with my 9 yr d daughter to her semi final soccer game. My husband and two other girls had stayed home. The idea that something could’ve happened to us scares me. We should all take it in stride and live life to the fullest without judgement. Things happen for a reason I truly believe that.

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