2 Die, I-5 Snarled as Plane Hits Power Lines, Crashes

COALINGA, Calif. —  A pilot and his passenger were killed and traffic on Interstate 5 was tied up for several hours in both directions Sunday night when a single-engine light airplane collided with power lines, crashed and exploded near the freeway about 10 miles south of here.

None of the aircraft wreckage was on the freeway, and no one on the ground was injured, but the California Highway Patrol said high-tension wires were blocking all lanes of the major north-south artery, and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. crews said it would take at least 24 hours to restore power.

A PG&E; spokesman said power had been re-routed to minimize blackouts, however.

Cause of the crash was not immediately determined, but Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Prince said the pilot of the airplane had been in citizens band radio contact with a trucker on the freeway moments before the crash, and had indicated that he was low on fuel and looking for a spot to land. The plane was believed to be a Cessna 152.

Witnesses said what fuel was left in the airplane’s tank exploded and set fire to the wreckage immediately on impact, but neither of the men on board appeared to have been burned. Both were found outside the wreckage, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Their identities, and the origin and destination of the flight, were under investigation.