Watch CBS News

Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Hayward Golf Course After Losing Power

HAYWARD (CBS SF) -- A pilot whose plane lost power after taking off made an emergency landing at a golf course in Hayward Sunday afternoon, a fire spokesman said.

Firefighters were notified of the incident around 12:45 p.m. when a single-engine aviator plane landed at Skywest Golf Course at 1401 Golf Course Road, Hayward fire spokesman Don Nichelson said.

The plane had departed from the Hayward Executive Airport located near Hesperian Boulevard and West Winton Avenue where it lost power, Nichelson said.

The pilot was able to get out of the plane and was uninjured, he said.

The plane was three to four hundred feet off the ground when it lost power.  The pilot was able to steer the plane away from golfers he saw on the course.

The pilot made an emergency landing at the golf course, which is adjacent to the airport, according to Nichelson.

"I saw this plane pretty low and I couldn't figure out why it was so low and I didn't hear the engine. I just see it clear the top of this tree over here and he pancaked it right in the middle of the fairway. And he did one of those litte wheelies on the wing and came down and stopped over there," witness Charles Cordes said.

One of the wings leaked less than 10 gallons of fuel that was cleaned up by fire crews and did not become a hazard, according to Nichelson.

The pilot was the sole occupant of the plane, he said.

Nichelson said the Federal Aviation Administration was called to conduct an investigation into the incident.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.