SAN DIEGO — When his single-engine plane ran out of gas, 48-year-old Ken Gheysar headed for the Southern California freeway. Luckily it was almost midnight on a Sunday and traffic was light on the southbound lanes of Interstate 15 in Escondido, north of San Diego.
Gheysar safely landed the 1968 Piper, touching the small plane down on the right shoulder of the thoroughfare.
No cars were hit and Gheysar and his three family members got out of the craft unharmed.
‘‘Basically it was just a quick reaction,’’ Gheysar said. “The fuel ran out and there was not much time, and there was not much else to do. Can I call you back? I’ve got some important calls I need to take about moving my plane.’’
Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said there were only about two vehicles on the highway at the time. But one of the motorists later swerved into the plane’s wing, damaging it and the motorist’s pickup.
Authorities moved the craft to an off-ramp to relieve the effect on morning traffic, while Gheysar was talking to his insurance company about having it towed, Bettencourt said.
It was not immediately known why Gheysar ran out of gas. The pilot has been flying for more than two decades, Bettencourt said.