SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An initial report from the Federal Aviation Administration indicates the plane that emergency landed on the I-805 freeway over the weekend experienced an engine issue. A long-time member of the aviation community reveals what he believes could've been the cause.
“Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. Engine Failure. 8150J."
That was the communication from the pilot of the aircraft 30 minutes after departing from Montgomery Field Airport on Saturday, relaying an emergency to the Air Traffic Control Tower.
“Do you think you can make it to Montgomery, or do you want to try and land over at Miramar?” ATCT responded.
“We won't make either," the pilot said.
Two minutes later, a Piper PA-28, with that same tail number, landed on the Southbound I-805, as indicated by the FAA's Preliminary Accident and Incident Report.
A statement from the FAA said the plane "made an emergency landing on Interstate 805 in San Diego after experiencing an engine issue." It added, "two people were on board. The FAA will investigate."
California Highway Patrol, which will conduct its own investigation, said the plane landed sideways against the center divider near Carroll Canyon Road in Sorrento Valley.
READ MORE: Small plane makes emergency landing on I-805 freeway
Neither of the two people on board, nor anyone on the ground, suffered injuries, according to CHP.
As the investigations continue, at least one member of the aviation community is already connecting the dots.
“With this wing separated from the fuselage, that fuel line would have been ripped open," said Robert Katz, a commercial pilot and flight instructor with 43 years of experience.
Katz examined the photo above and walked us through what he saw noticed in the image.
“Had there been fuel in that tank, number one, we would have seen a big puddle out here," he said. "And a fire, and it doesn't appear either.”
“So what does that indicate to you?” ABC 10News asked.
“It suggests the possibility that this airplane ran out of fuel," he replied.
When asked if a lack of fuel would qualify as an "engine issue," as the FAA said was the culprit in its initial report, Katz said, "Yes, it would."
Katz said it would be important to find out if the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responded to the scene with a hazmat unit.
So that's exactly what ABC 10News did.
“Did crews on the scene do a hazmat cleanup?” ABC 10News asked Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy.
“They did not do a hazmat cleanup on scene," he said.
“And is that something that would’ve been done had fuel been spilled on the ground?” we asked.
“Absolutely. We would’ve had a hazmat response come," he answered.
FlightAware said the plane took off at 5:05 p.m. and landed on the freeway at 5:37 p.m.
That's a 32-minute flight — another red flag for Katz.
“If this airplane ran out of fuel, it took off with next to nothing to begin with," he said. "There is absolutely no excuse why that would not have been noticed in pre-flight planning.”
If that turns out to be the case, Katz said the pilot would be subject to sanctions in the form of a possible license suspension, license revocation, fines or more.
Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
