Cops make stunning discovery after flight from Mesa lands on California highway
Mesa, Arizona: When a small single-engined aircraft made an emergency landing on California's State Route 76 near Canyon Drive on September 26, local authorities were stunned with what they found in it. The plane, which took off from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona, was carrying two Oceanside residents and a backpack containing over a kilogram of cocaine.
The aircraft, a single-piston plane, was forced to make an emergency landing just south of Oceanside. The Oceanside PD found the plane's two occupants and the coaine. Oceanside men Gabriel Leon Breit, 21, and Troy Othneil Smith, 36, have both been arrested.
Flight expert Captain Ron Nielsen told 12News that it was likely the plane was not inspected at either Oceanside airport or Falcon Field. According to flight records, the plane originally departed from Oceanside on Wednesday evening at 6.45pm and landed at Falcon Field later that night. The plane stayed on the ground for about four hours before taking off again at around 11pm heading back to California.
Officials have not confirmed if the drugs were placed on the plane in Mesa. Nielsen, shockingly, also stated that if you’re coming from somewhere within the US, private planes are generally not subjected to security screenings. Passengers and crew, however, must go through security checks, though they aren't as intensive as those for commercial passengers.