Small plane makes emergency landing in North Salinas, crews say

UPDATE: A pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in North Salinas Friday afternoon, fire crews said.

Salinas fire said it originally came in as a plane in distress but the pilot landed in a field near West Acacia and South Davis and avoided crashing.

Crews said the aircraft landed on its wheels. They said the pilot, from Capitola, had just put a new motor in and had been flying for two hours when the motor quit as he was trying to fly into Marina Airport.

Crews also said the pilot has about 3,000 flying hours, and had training for emergency landings. He looked for a soft, dirt field to glide down, and was reportedly nervous about nearby power lines.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration also responded to the scene.

The plane appears to be salvageable.