Teen pilot makes emergency landing in Cajon Pass
LOS ANGELES - An 18-year-old pilot had to make an emergency landing in the Cajon Pass Monday morning, according to local authorities.
It happened near Cajon Boulevard and Mathews Ranch Road. Four people were on board. None of them were injured.
The plane had departed from Apple Valley Airport and as en route to Riverside Municipal when it lost power.
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"We're coming down through the pass and I heard a pop in the engine and I lose all power," said Brock Peters, the 18-year-old flying the plane. "At that point I didn't have any space or time to get to any other airports, and this was my only option, my only shot to get down. Got under the power lines and pulled it off to the side."
Peters said he relied on his training to get the plane down safely. He had been flying since he was 16 and went through a mental checklist of what to do in emergencies.
"I had my grandmother," Peters explained. "She was crying in the back. I had to tune her out and tune everybody on."
"When I felt the wheels touch down, that's when I was like, ‘OK, we’re good,'" Peters said.
Peters said the plane was a rental and the teen had checked everything out and the aircraft appeared good before takeoff. The NTSB is now investigating what went wrong.