Edhat Staff
Update by the edhat staff
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department confirmed an aircraft was forced to land due to a mechanical failure in Santa Maria on Saturday.
Around 4:00 p.m., crews arrived in the 2600 block of Clark Road and discovered a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza on the roadway about five miles from the Santa Maria Airport.
The plane was en route from Van Nuys to San Luis Obispo Airport and reported engine trouble, then tried to divert to Santa Maria Airport, according to County Fire spokesperson Mike Eliason.
The aircraft hit a power line while coming in for landing on the roadway, but the pilot managed to avoid traffic and even came to a stop off the road.
The pilot and no one on the ground were injured.
Santa Maria Airport will make Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notifications and officials will determine how to remove aircraft.
PG&E are also responding to repair the downed line.
Photos: SBCFD
By the edhat staff
Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to the Santa Maria Airport Saturday afternoon for a reported plane crash.
At 4:04 p.m., a single-engine plane reportedly hit an object while landing.
A county fire medical unit is on the scene while another engine is dispatched.
This is a developing story.
