Steven Mikulan
Nothing like a tailgating motorist to ruin the perfect freeway landing of your private plane. Last Sunday's textbook touchdown of a vintage Piper Comanche on the 101 Freeway outside Santa Barbara is a good example of why drivers should always allow one plane-length for every 10 miles per hour that they drive behind low-flying aircraft.
In fact, these startling photographs, taken by an anonymous photographer, only make it appear as though the plane was rear ended. The pilot, who'd flown out of Temecula with his wife and run out of gas, actually landed head-on against southbound traffic. He clipped a few cars before spinning around and getting hit by a VW hatchback sedan. L.A.-bound traffic was backed up for miles, although it's not clear if this had anything to do with the accident.
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