Beech Debonair Pilot Makes Successful Emergency Landing

Mark Phelps

Friday, November 16, 2012 at 12:43 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Pilot John Mares successfully performed an emergency landing of his 1961 Beech Debonair on a grass highway median after an engine failure at 3,500 feet.
The engine failure, suspected to be a fuel pump issue, occurred during a post-maintenance test flight.
Mares was uninjured, and the airplane was undamaged, with plans underway for it to be flown off the highway after repairs.
Mares, a 35-year pilot, emphasized that his successful landing was a direct result of consistent training for such emergencies.

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This morning, John Mares has the answer to one question pilots ask themselves all the time: How would I react if the engine quit in flight? The Redondo Beach, California, resident successfully landed his 1961 Beech Debonair (N425T), rolling out on a grass highway median after an engine failure at around 3,500 feet.

According to news reports, he had just replaced the engine and was on a post-maintenance test flight when a suspected fuel pump failure led to the emergency landing.