Disabled Plane Had Earlier Problem

The pilot of a charter plane that clipped two school buses in an emergency landing in Van Nuys had made an unscheduled landing earlier in the day to unload his passengers because of apparent instrument trouble, the charter company said Thursday.

Pilot Michael G. Busch had reported erratic engine gauge readings aboard the 1969 Cessna 402A on a flight from Van Nuys to Arizona on Wednesday, prompting him to make a precautionary landing in Bullhead City, Ariz., Sunshine Airlines said in a statement.

The passengers were transferred to another plane, and the Cessna’s owner, Sussex Aviation of Van Nuys, asked Busch to return it to Van Nuys for inspection and repairs if necessary, the statement said.

“The pilot agreed to do this,” Van Nuys-based Sunshine Airlines said. “In the final minute of the flight as the plane was approaching to land at Van Nuys, one engine quit unexpectedly, and the other followed in less than a minute.”

Officials with Sunshine Airlines refused to comment beyond the statement. A company official who refused to identify himself said the plane was headed for a sightseeing tour of the Grand Canyon before it diverted to Bullhead City.

The Sunshine statement said the aircraft had sufficient fuel to complete the flight. But Matthew J. Fairshter, corporate counsel for Sussex Aviation, said a preliminary review by his company determined low fuel was the probable cause of the incident.

“This didn’t seem to be a failure in engine performance,” Fairshter said, adding that the engines were new and had less than 80 hours of flight time.

The attorney noted that the initial problem concerned a gauge reading. Sussex asked the pilot to “ferry” the plane back to Van Nuys, a term used to express a specific procedure in which a pilot requests a ferry permit from the FAA to transport a plane that appears flight worthy but may have problems, Fairshter said.

Busch, 27, of Rowland Heights, described by a co-worker as an experienced pilot with more than 3,000 hours of flying time, was questioned by federal officials for hours Thursday. He said he was advised by an attorney for Sunshine not to comment.

But the driver of one of the school buses that narrowly missed colliding with the Cessna as it hurtled down Hayvenhurst Avenue recalled the moments before the collision.

Judy Benavidez, 41, who was driving four boys from Lassen Elementary School in North Hills, had stopped Hayvenhurst traffic signal and looked left and right. No cars. She looked ahead.

“Suddenly, an airplane was on my hood,” she said. At that point, she said, nothing mattered but “my children.”

Alarmed by the accident and other recent forced landings, Los Angeles City Councilman Joel Wachs called for a comprehensive review of operations at city-owned Van Nuys Airport and recommendations on possible ways to improve safety for surrounding communities.

In particular, Wachs said, he wants a review of whether there can be quicker warning to police and traffic officers about incoming aircraft with problems, so streets can be cleared for forced landings.

“We have to look at the whole operation to see what can be done,” said Wachs, whose district includes most of the airport.

The city has already designated two large open areas as emergency landing spots for pilots in trouble, including a sod farm just east of where the pilot landed Wednesday, according to Stacy Geere, a spokeswoman for the airport.

The other one is Van Nuys Golf Course just south of the airport.

“Van Nuys has a reputation for being a very safe airport,” she said.

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Times staff writers Martha L. Willman, Patrick McGreevy, Jeffrey Gettleman and Roberto J. Manzano contributed to this story.