Plane makes emergency landing in Fresno neighborhood
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A plane made an emergency landing in a Fresno neighborhood Sunday afternoon, according to the Fresno Fire Department.
Firefighters say around 2:20 p.m. they responded to the area of Emerson and Lead Avenues for reports of an aircraft emergency.
Upon arrival, fire crews learned a fixed-wing single-engine CESSNA aircraft had experienced some type of malfunction that forced the pilot to make an emergency landing.
According to FlightAware, the plane had initially departed around 10:30 a.m. from Sierra Sky Park Airport in Fresno, airborne for about three hours and 45 minutes before its emergency landing.
Luckily, Fresno Fire reports the pilot was successfully able to land the aircraft while avoiding power lines, a park, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Right along that same place is a bunch of high voltage power lines and the plane managed to land without striking those powerlines on the street that was nearly directly below them, so that was a bit miraculous that was able to happen and a good testament to that pilot’s skill,” said Batallion Chief Kirk Wanless.
Wanless adds how impressive the situation turned out despite the real dangers that could have occurred.
“It was remarkable. You know, this plane lost power, managed to land itself on the city street avoiding these high voltage powerlines, didn’t damage anything— from everything I saw the plane was completely intact, there were no vehicles struck, nobody seemed to be put in any danger. The pilot and I think there might have been a passenger, they were unharmed,” he said.
Firefighters say no one was injured and the plane was towed to a nearby airport to undergo inspection.
