Pilot Makes Precautionary Landing On Road South Of Lake Mathews

LAKE MATHEWS, CA — A two-seat aircraft experiencing engine trouble safely landed Thursday on a two-lane road south of Lake Mathews, with no injuries to the occupants or anyone on the ground.

The aircraft emergency was reported at 2:43 p.m. Thursday along Cajalco Road, roughly a mile east of La Sierra Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol and the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agencies said that the pilot of a gyroplane, also known as a gyrocopter because it's configured like a mini helicopter, believed that an engine failure was imminent in the aircraft due to instrument indications while flying over the lake and picked out a spot with little traffic on Cajalco to land.

The emergency landing was unobstructed, and the gyroplane rolled to a stop undamaged, according to the fire department.

CHP officers and firefighters reached the location about 10 minutes later and helped the pilot and his passenger push the aircraft clear of the roadway to allow traffic to pass.

As of 3:50 p.m., the airman was waiting for a special tow vehicle to retrieve the gyroplane and transport it to a nearby airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

It was unclear from where the aircraft had departed or where it was headed.