Pair Safe After Plane Crashes
A Valencia pilot and his Thousand Oaks passenger escaped serious injury Tuesday night when their single-engine plane developed engine trouble over Orange County and crashed into the water near the Newport Harbor jetty.
The plane, en route from Palm Springs to Van Nuys, was being followed by a police helicopter pilot who monitored distress calls from the plane, authorities said.
Both the pilot and a passenger were rescued as they stepped from the plane shortly after 8 p.m. They were taken aboard by the crew of an Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol boat, which was also monitoring their calls.
Authorities identified the pilot as David Gene Gibbs, 36, of Valencia and his passenger as Roger Donald Larue, 41, of Thousand Oaks. Both were taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach.
The Orange County sheriff’s office said they did not appear seriously injured.
A sheriff’s spokesman said the pilot reported an emergency to John Wayne Airport where he was hoping to make an emergency landing. But when the plane’s engine died, he was forced into the ocean.
The Cessna 210-B sunk in 25 feet of water just inside the east jetty entrance to Newport Harbor, the spokesman said.
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