A plane that crashed killing 1 on a California freeway landed on the same freeway in 2000

FALLBROOK, Calif. — The small plane that crashed on a Southern California freeway Saturday killing one person and injuring five others landed safely on the same freeway in 2000.

In Saturday’s incident witnesses told dispatchers that the plane landed on a vehicle on Interstate 15, about 50 miles north of San Diego. Photos on Twitter showed the nose of the white and blue plane crumpled into the rear of a small black sedan on the shoulder of the freeway.

One person in the car was killed, and three others from the vehicle were taken to a hospital, California Highway Patrol Officer Tony Polizzi said. Two occupants in the plane also were transported for treatment. The conditions of the injured were not immediately known.

The plane was once owned by major league catcher Matt Nokes, who made a noteworthy landing on busy I-15 when the engine quit on its second flight on Feb. 18, 2000.

Nokes guided the high-performance $500,000 plane to a smooth landing and safely taxied off the road without injuries. He went on to fly the plane every day for five years without incident before selling it. He said it had been rebuilt several times since he sold it.

“It was crazy,” Nokes told The Associated Press on Saturday. “Everything worked out so beautifully. It was almost a humorous thing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always turn out that way.”

When Nokes heard about the crash, he unsuccessfully tried to reach Hogge. He didn’t realize Hogge had been injured.

He described Hogge as a good man, an outstanding pilot and a master plane builder.

“It’s just horrible to hear about,” said Nokes who spent 11 years in the majors, mostly with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.

The stretch of freeway is no stranger to unusual landings. Parent said he’s aware of three other planes that have come down on that stretch of freeway about 50 miles north of San Diego in the past decade.

Nokes said the freeway is a popular route for flying because there are fewer flight restrictions than along the Interstate 5 corridor.

The crash caused major backups throughout the day on the freeway that runs from the Mexican border through Las Vegas and Salt Lake City to Canada.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

The plane was a single-engine Lancair IV, according to Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

The crash blocked two lanes and caused backups on the freeway that runs to Las Vegas.