Fiery Night Plane Crash Landing On A Modesto, California Highway

Firefighters on the scene of a plane crash in Modesto, California on September 27. Photo by Modesto Fire Department

The Piper Dakota was on a night flight from Truckee, California, heading south along the shore flying solo. When it got as far as Modesto, the engine quit, and the pilot was left with an impossible decision---put it down on the packed freeway or into buildings?

Pilot Dirk Kanngiesser had to make that call. ATC had recommended Modesto as his best landing bet, but partway there, the pilot told controllers his Foreflight indicated he'd be a half-mile short of the runway. At that point, he decided to land on California State Highway 99, a major divided highway that passes through Modesto.

The problem was, it was dark, and as Kanngiesser descended he saw an overpass and told reporters, "At the moment I saw this overpass, I think, that's it. Then I ran out of options. Hitting the overpass!clearly, I would have died."

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He managed to avoid hitting the overpass and any vehicles, but the wing of the Dakota hit a light pole. The plane flipped, and Kannigiesser had to break a window to crawl out. The plane went up in flames the second he was clear.

The NTSB is investigating.

The crash raises the question of safety considerations when flying single-engine aircraft.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. What is your best practice when flying single-engine planes cross-country?