A Short Flight Home Takes A Heart-Stopping Detour

There aren't a lot of friendly choices when you lose power on takeoff from an airport set in a heavily populated environment. Mooney pilot Josh Redsun faced that challenge, and the outcome remained in doubt right up to the end.

He and his father were launching to head home at around 5 p.m. local time from Livermore Airport (LVK) in California to the airplane's home base at Napa Airport (APC)---just a short crow hop in a Mooney, about 40 nm to the north. But the routine nature of the trip dissolved quickly when, for an as-yet-unknown reason, the 1967 M20E lost power on climbout. Redsun decided their best shot was Isabel Avenue, a highway overpass---not an attractive option.

But he proved up to the task. The right wing of the Mooney did hit a car broadside, but not hard enough to injure the driver. Redsun and his father were also unhurt, and the pilot was calm and collected enough to explain to TV reporters at the scene that "power was lost" on takeoff, and that he was grateful everyone was safe.

#Breaking Small plane crashes short of the runway and into a car along a Livermore overpass . #kpix5 pic.twitter.com/5dAi6Hh02p

--- Juliette Goodrich (@JulietteKPIX) February 24, 2021

News video and photographs show the Mooney resting tail-high, perpendicular to the shoulder of the overpass, with its nose gear sheared off and the right wing resting against the car. Apparently, it spun around on contact.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash, and we'll update this story as more details emerge. But for now, great job, Josh!

Samantha ThomasWriter