Light plane crashes near Bay Bridge

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Sep 10, 2008 | by William Brand

OAKLAND -- The pilot and a passenger aboard a small, private Cessna aircraft escaped injury Wednesday afternoon when they made an emergency landing in the Bay on the north side of the Bay Bridge toll plaza, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The single-engine Cessna lost engine power and descended into the water north of the Bay Bridge toll plaza at 1:51 p.m., FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

The pilot, Bruce Moody, told the FAA they had been doing aerial photography for about two hours when the engine lost power.

The passenger and photographer, Matt Barcelona, said the engine of the Cessna 182 stalled while the two were flying at 1,500 feet over the Bay.

According to the plane's tail number, the aircraft is registered to Ja-Mar Industries of Santa Clara. The company specializes in aerial photography.

The air pressure dropped to zero and the plane "just went down," Barcelona said from the Coast Guard station on Yerba Buena Island.

He called the impact when the Cessna hit the water and cracked the windshield "insane," and added that water began to rush into the cabin.

"I panicked for a minute but I kept my cool," Barcelona said.

He and the pilot climbed out onto the wings of the plane, which later submerged. He said seals approached them while they waited to be rescued. The Coast Guard was called in after numerous motorists crossing the Bay Bridge spotted the stranded aircraft.

Chief Ray Codd was the pilot of the 23-foot inflatable boat that reached the men about 10 minutes after the crash.

He was part of a nearby search-and-rescue demonstration for an international delegation of visitors from Japan, China, South Korea, Canada and Russia. The demonstration included numerous boats and a helicopter.

The wind had picked up to about 15 to 20 knots and the water temperature was about 65 degrees, conditions cold enough that the men were showing signs of mild hypothermia when the Coast Guard reached them, according to Codd.

"They were real lucky," Codd said.

The men were brought to the Coast Guard on Yerba Buena Island and treated by San Francisco Fire Department medics.

No visible fuel leaks were detected, according to Petty Officer Kevin Neff.

The downed aircraft is not restricting vessel traffic in the area, and the owner of the plane is making plans for salvage.

The Federal Aviation Administration and California Highway Patrol will conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash.