Danger from above!
I have written several times about the exciting traffic (e.g., this entry) that you can encounter in California. Yesterday morning, there was an additional cause for excitement on Highway 101! And it wasn’t California condors or Predator drones….
A single-engine Piper Comanche 260 (so CNN writers can’t spell “Comanche!” 
[Note added August 25, 2009: It’s good to see that CNN goes back to correct its spelling! Way to go!]) airplane made an emergency landing on the southbound lanes of Highway 101 just outside of Santa Barbara and only a few miles from the airport. The plane landed facing ONCOMING TRAFFIC! Heads up, and kill the cruise control!
The engine of the plane quit, and the pilot lost control. The airplane hit two vehicles while landing and then spun, and the tail hit ANOTHER vehicle! A passenger in one vehicle was treated for minor injuries, and no other injuries were reported.
During the flight from Temecula to Santa Barbara (about 180 miles [290 km]), the pilot attempted to switch fuel lines, but he was unable to restore power to the plane. He alerted a control tower at the airport that he would be landing on the highway.
On California highways, be sure to look straight ahead, to the left and right, and UPWARD!
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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