The pilot of a plane that crashed in Oceanside, sending raw sewage spewing, noticed that the fuel gauges were going down fast, federal investigators said Saturday.
The plane slammed into the ground after a loss of engine power during a go-around at Oceanside Municipal Airport, investigators said. The pilot Amandeep Singh, 24, and passenger Harshdeep Multani, 18, suffered serious injuries.
While they were flying over Palomar, at 6,000 feet, the pilot noticed that the fuel gauges were going down fast, Multani told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector. The pilot thought the airplane was leaking fuel, he said.
Investigator said Singh diverted to Oceanside and attempted to land. However, the airplane was too high and too fast for a landing so he executed a go-around, followed by a 180-degree turn, and attempted to land again. But the airplane was still too high and too fast.
The passenger reported that he was not sure but thought that the engine lost power as the pilot was pulling up to execute the second go-around.
According to police witness statements, the airplane was seen flying eastbound at a low altitude just east of the Oceanside airport. One witness reported that the airplane was "bobbling" in the air and that she knew from this unsteady flight pattern that it was going to crash.
Another witness reported that the airplane was very quiet and was unsure if the engine was running. This witness observed the airplane hit the ground, slide forward and collide with and sever the sewer valve.
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Singh was trapped in the wreckage for a time, but Multani managed to get out by himself. Gallons of raw sewage covered emergency crews as they tried to rescue the two men. Police Sgt. Kelan Poorman said crews contained the sewage before it could reach nearby homes, but everybody on the scene had to be decontaminated.
The plane left Gillespie Field airport in El Cajon and was heading to Torrence Municipal Airport, Gregor said. The engine was torn from the fuselage and landed about 30 feet from the plane.
The airplane was registered to, and operated by, California Flight Academy, in El Cajon.
