SAN DIEGO -- Two people who emerged from a banner-towing single-engine Cessna that crash-landed on San Diego Bay were lucky to be alive Sunday.
The plane's engine stopped, and it dropped an advertising banner moments before ditching just south of the Coronado Bay Bridge, near the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel, about 4:20 p.m. Saturday.
A Federal Aviation Administration duty officer said the pilot of the Cessna 150 reported engine trouble shortly before going down.
Recreational boaters in the area got the pilot and a passenger out of the water and handed them over to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. The plane sunk, and Harbor Police divers later took a look at it. But it was unclear when and if it would be raised.
Medics checked out the two people aboard the plane, and they appeared to be in good shape, a Fire-Rescue Department spokesman said.
The plane's engine stopped, and it dropped an advertising banner moments before ditching just south of the Coronado Bay Bridge, near the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel, about 4:20 p.m. Saturday.
A Federal Aviation Administration duty officer said the pilot of the Cessna 150 reported engine trouble shortly before going down.
Recreational boaters in the area got the pilot and a passenger out of the water and handed them over to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. The plane sunk, and Harbor Police divers later took a look at it. But it was unclear when and if it would be raised.
Medics checked out the two people aboard the plane, and they appeared to be in good shape, a Fire-Rescue Department spokesman said.
