Fullerton : Student Pilot Makes Emergency Landing
A student pilot ran out of runway while making an emergency landing Monday at Fullerton Municipal Airport but managed to walk away from his damaged plane uninjured, authorities said.
Fullerton Police Sgt. Jeff Roop called the 10:37 a.m. incident a “controlled crash.”
Tony Rivas, supervisor at the Federal Aviation Administration’s control tower at the airport, said a single-engine Piper Cherokee began sputtering after take off, circled and returned to the airport. But it touched down late on approach, Rivas said, and came to rest in a grassy area still inside the airport boundaries.
The airplane’s propeller and nose landing gear were damaged, he said.
Police identified the pilot as Richard Kent Walker, 27, of Temecula.
Airport officials said Walker was alone in the plane.
Airport Manager Rod Murphy said the Piper’s engine was “cutting in and out,” and credited the pilot for cool handling of the incident.
“He (Walker) did a terrific job,” Murphy said.
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