Pilot who landed on California freeway said engine sputtered after fuel tanks switched

A pilot who made an emergency landing last month on Interstate 805 says the small plane’s engine began to sputter after he switched fuel tanks early in the flight, according to a preliminary investigative report.

No one was injured when the single-engine Piper PA-28 crash landed in the southbound lane of the freeway in Sorrento Valley on Aug. 16. During the landing, the plane’s left wing struck a highway signpost and the aircraft came to rest upright against the center highway divider. No vehicles were hit.

The left wing, fuselage and horizontal stabilator sustained substantial damage in the landing, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The pilot, who is not identified in the report, told investigators that he and a passenger were taking “a local personal flight” and departed Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in Kearny Mesa with “full fuel.” After flying north along the coast for about 15 minutes, the pilot switched fuel tanks.

“He did not recall whether he clearly felt the valve’s position detents when adjusting the fuel tank selector valve handle,” the report said. A detent is a mechanical component that creates a fixed stopping point for a control lever. It requires a pilot’s conscious effort to move past it and is designed to prevent accidental selections.

“Several minutes after switching fuel tanks, while at an altitude of 1,700 ft mean sea level, the engine began to sputter and lost partial power,” the NTSB said.

At that point, the pilot declared an emergency to air traffic controllers and tried troubleshooting the problem. He turned the fuel pump on, switched fuel tanks and checked the ignition, but the engine continued to sputter. That’s when he initiated the “forced landing” in the southbound lanes of I-805, the report said.

The four-seat plane landed near Carroll Canyon Road shortly after 5:35 p.m., officials said. The plane is registered to Vandelay Aviation LLC in San Diego, according to FAA records.