Commuter alert: Plane lands on Highway 132 bypass in Modesto
The slow lane of eastbound Highway 132 in Modesto was closed Friday afternoon following an emergency landing of a 1970 Cessna aircraft.
Officer Tom Olsen of the California Highway Patrol said the driver, a 75-year-old from Sacramento, put out a mayday call and landed safely on the edge of the highway.
The plane managed to land straight and didn’t hit anything, Olsen said. There were no injuries
“He experienced some unknown mechanical issue and he decided to land it here,” Olsen said. “He thought at the time it was probably the safest spot for it to be able to land – and it probably was.”
The call came in around 1:25 p.m., and though the CHP posted it would originally close down all eastbound traffic on the highway, it was able to open some lanes, allowing traffic to continue slowly.
He did not have a projected time it will be cleared, but Olsen said it would take at least two hours and will involve the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We’re just going to go ahead and figure out how we’re going to get the thing out of here,” Olsen said. “Usually it’s going to involve maybe removing the wings and taking the cockpit so it can safely be driven down the roadway.”
Olsen said drivers should avoid the area and use Maze boulevard as a detour.
