A small aircraft made an emergency landing Monday afternoon on Interstate 15 in San Diego’s Serra Mesa without coming into contact with any vehicles.
The single-engine plane was able to land on its wheels around 4:45 p.m. between Aero Drive and Balboa Avenue on northbound I-15, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The aircraft, a six-seater Cessna T206 Stationair built in 2005, came to a halt in the breakdown lane at the center of the freeway and impacted traffic in the area.
There were two men on board the plane when it landed. Neither man was hurt in the incident; both wore Aeromechanix aviation services shirts. They were not identified by name and turned down an interview with NBC 7.
The Cessna’s tail number says the plane is registered to an Encinitas company, Tellum Aviation Services, which is listed as an aircraft rental business in its business filing with the state.
A small plane is shown after landing on the I-15 North at Aero Drive, Sept. 29, 2025. (Dana Williams | NBC 7 San Diego)
According to Flight Aware, an app that tracks aircraft, the plane left Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport at 3:50 p.m. The plane circled several times, then flew to Oceanside and back.
NBC 7 spoke with a driver who captured the spectacle on her camera.
“It’s not every day you see a plan on the freeway, so I took a picture,” said Leila Rezai.
She was not alone, as several others also slowed and took pictures, but Rezai was ticketed.
“If that is what the priority is at the moment, unfortunately, it is the consequences of my actions, and I am mature enough to handle that,” Rezai said.
The FAA was on scene investigating the cause of the incident.