Tuesday evening, a pilot reported losing his engine, so the SLO County Airport prepared for an emergency landing.
"We got a report of a multi-engine fixed-wing approximately 20 miles out with a lost engine. Unsure if they’ll be landing here or not, but we’ll advise shortly. Have all incoming make access through the fire house gate and stage behind the station,” was heard over emergency radio traffic.
But that response would change as the aircraft ended up in the Pacific.
“San Luis Airport with an update. It appears the aircraft has made a water landing. Can cancel all incoming.”
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane went down at around 6:50 p.m. approximately six miles northwest of Morro Bay.
It belongs to the Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), a military contractor that operates out of Naval Air Station Point Mugu.
In a statement, the company told KSBY News, “...ATAC lost an Mk. 58 Hawker Hunter aircraft off the California coast operating in support of the US Navy.”
A search and rescue team from Naval Air Station Lemoore happened to be nearby in a helicopter and responded to rescue the pilot.
“Santa Barbara departure, we are five miles north of San Luis Obispo. We are a rescue helicopter inbound to the position of the crashed aircraft," the crew said, calling into the air traffic control tower. "We have a rescue swimmer on board ready for entry.”
An ATAC official said that the pilot, who is an employee of the company, was ejected from the jet and was the only person on board. He is recovering in a hospital in Fresno and was expected to be released on Wednesday.
“I'm glad he’s okay," said Maison Young at the nearby Cayucos Pier on Wednesday. "I’m glad that we were able to learn about it today and hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”
“I’m so glad that he got rescued in time and didn’t float out to the sea,” said visitor Ben Smit.
The Naval Air Force sent this statement regarding the rescue:
"An MH-60S assigned to Station Search and Rescue (SAR) Lemoore, based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, conducted an open-ocean recovery of a civilian pilot at approximately 7:30 PM on Sept. 22. The helicopter crew transported the civilian pilot to a civilian hospital for treatment. The primary mission of SAR Lemoore is to provide continuous SAR support for Naval Aviation commands in the area of responsibility while also augmenting joint assets and providing support to local agencies to save lives.”
ATAC officials said that after an initial investigation, they’ll determine what to do with the downed aircraft. People who find debris from the plane are encouraged to report it to the U.S. Coast Guard.
