Drug-filled Cherokee ends up on the highway

As we've noted in our reporting on airplane accidents, the line between good and bad luck is sometimes very thin. Never has that been truer than for the pilot and passenger aboard a Cherokee 235 who ran away from a highway landing site last Thursday and into the arms of local law enforcement. The duo ended up on Highway 76 north of San Diego with engine trouble. Both the aircraft and the people were undamaged, but the incident triggered the usual police, fire and ambulance response and the police naturally wanted to take a look inside the aircraft.

Shortly after the crash, which temporarily closed one lane of the highway, Oceanside police said they found a “large quantity of narcotics” in the Cherokee, according to an FBI investigation. The two were not identified, but were reportedly residents of Oceanside. The FAA is also looking into this.

The plane was rented. It is registered with Leadturn LLC, a San Diego company owned by former military combat drone pilots who now provide training and software development for new military drone pilots. A company spokesman told local media the plane was rented through a flying club called Plus One Flyers. The aircraft is advertised on Plus One's website as a “great cross-country bird with an excellent payload” of 1,224 pounds. Plus One specializes in leaseback transactions with private owners.