Plane lands on Washington Road
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Pilot William Tomlinson (second from right), of Belvedere, talks to Columbia County officials shortly after landing his plane Wednesday on Washington Road in Martinez. [
Photo by Barry Paschal
Pilot William Tomlinson, 75, was uninjured when he landed his Cessna 150 on Washington Road in Martinez just before noon Wednesday. The veteran pilot was en route from Columbia to Daniel Field when the airplane lost power and one wing clipped a power line on Washington Road near Flowing Wells Road. Tomlinson was forced to land on the busy highway. Witnesses say Tomlinson's plane, traveling east, passed between the traffic signals hanging over Bobby Jones Expressway and over the roofs of cars stopped for the red light and then touched down on Washington Road at West Town Market Square. The plane, which sustained only minor damage, later was hauled away on a flatbed truck. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the unexpected landing.
Capt. Steve Morris, of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, responds to media questions concerning the forced landing of Tomlinson's Cessna 150 airplane. [
Photo by Jim Blaylock