At about 10:05 mountain time, a Cessna 414A suffered a reported pressurization problem and collided with obstructions after a precautionary landing in a housing development under construction. The pilot, actor Patrick Swayze, and his two dogs were not injured. The flight was en route from Van Nuys, Calif., to Las Vegas, N.M. The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at 13,000 feet msl when he heard a loud sound. His ears popped and his dogs began barking. Concerned that he had lost pressurization, he looked for a suitable landing site. After seeing what he believed was an airport below him, he circled the field to the left and initiated an approach from the west. On short final, he noticed a truck parked on the left side of what he believed was a runway near the approach end and lengthened his approach, clearing the vehicle by about 4 or 5 feet. Just prior to touchdown, the right wing of the aircraft struck a streetlight, losing about a 4-foot outboard section of the right wing. The aircraft then touched down, bounced, and touched down again, striking a stop sign, another streetlight, and an electrical utility box. Evidence was found of a pressurization problem that could have been induced by the pilots heavy smoking.
© 2024 Firecrown. All rights reserved.