Crime & Safety

Pilot, 86, Lost Control While Landing at Watsonville Airport

No injuries in rough landing.

Bay City News — An elderly pilot veered off the runway during a botched landing at Watsonville Municipal Airport Tuesday afternoon, a spokesman from an aircraft rental company said.

The 86-year-old woman, who has 30 years of flying experience, rented the light sport aircraft for a recreational flight with her husband as her passenger, Ocean Air Flight Services office manager Armin Monajemi said.

 She had taken off from Watsonville around 1 p.m. and then landed at the Hollister Municipal Airport. The pilot then returned to the Watsonville Airport, located at 100 Aviation Way, around 2 p.m. Upon landing, she lost control and went off the runway. She slid into the dirt and took out a sign on the taxiway.

 The nose gear hit the ground before the craft came to rest. The small plane was damaged in the incident, Monajemi said. No injuries were reported, and the pilot and her passenger did not need medical attention, he said.

 The National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration, along with inspectors from the rental company are investigating the incident, Monajemi said. 


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