EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA – A pilot was rescued from an upside down plane after it crashed Wednesday morning into overhead trolley cables about 300 feet from the Gillespie Field runway. The pilot was a 79-year-old Del Mar resident. He suffered non life-threatening injuries to both arms and was taking to the hospital. El Cajon Police Lieutenant Jeff Davis said the pilot’s name has not yet been released.
The plane he was flying at the time was a single engine Sport Cruiser, according to Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The pilot was the only occupant of the plane at the time of the accident, which occurred around 10:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes of Cuyamaca Street at Prospect Avenue near the west end of the runway. No one on the ground was injured.
The pilot complained of an injury to his left hand and numbness in his left arm. He was conscious and talking to rescuers, according to El Cajon Police Lieutenant Mark Coit. The pilot could not be extricated from the plane until the power to the trolley was shut off. The downed trolley wires also ignited a small brush fire along the fence bordering the airport. The fire was quickly extinguished.
Pat Uhart was working in a medical and insurance building at Cuyamaca Street and Prospect Avenue when he saw the plane pass buy at a low altitude. She said she saw the pilot tried to pull the plane back up but the back of the aircraft hit the trolley cables. Uhart said, if the trolley would have been approaching it could have been a major disaster.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Transit System said it will take several days to repair the trolley line. On Wednesday afternoon, Green Line trains were turning back at the Arnele Station and Orange Line trains were turning back at the El Cajon Transit Center. Passengers going to or leaving from the closed stations were transported on buses.
It seems that the pilot will likely recover from this accident. Thankfully, the plane did not collide with a trolley and the accident did not kill the pilot or hurt anyone on the ground. Our thoughts are with the pilot and we hope he makes a full recovery. Berman & Riedel, LLP is a plaintiff’s personal injury and wrongful death law firm in San Diego, California.
Our lawyers handle exclusively the cases of those who have been seriously injured or lost loved ones in serious accidents. If you would like to speak with a professional following a serious accident, contact the firm to set up a case consultation. There is no charge for your initial meeting.
