A small aircraft was forced to land on a highway in southern California, leading to the arrest of the instructor pilot and his student passenger for drug smuggling, as reported by authorities.
A 21-year-old pilot named Gabriel Leon Breit contacted authorities at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Thursday, informing them that his Piper Cherokee Pathfinder was having engine issues and that he intended to land on State Route 76 in Oceanside, according to NBC San Diego.
Breit and his passenger, 36-year-old Troy Othneil Smith, emerged unscathed after safely landing the craft. However, upon the arrival of police, one of the men was observed concealing a backpack in the brush alongside the road, as stated by Oceanside Police Assistant Chief Taurino Valdovinos during a press briefing.
Breit, who teaches flying, and his student Smith, have been taken into custody.
Authorities found a limited quantity of cocaine on Smith. A further kilogram of cocaine was found in the backpack. Both individuals faced charges related to the distribution of illegal substances.
“It doesn’t surprise me. I think we have narcotics coming into our country in various ways, but I think the surprising part is the emergency landing and how we came across it,” Valdovinos told reporters.
Authorities reported that the aircraft took off from Oceanside on Wednesday afternoon, making a short stop in the Phoenix region. Later that evening, it was making its way back to Oceanside when it had to make an emergency landing on the road.
The owner of the aircraft informed NBC San Diego that he offers the plane for rent via a flying club known as Plus One Flyers, which mandates a private pilot’s license and a high-performance aircraft endorsement to charter his plane.
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It has been confirmed that Breit and Smith utilized the plane, with one serving as the flight instructor and the other as the student pilot.
The individual, preferring to stay unnamed, reported being informed of the emergency landing at approximately 6:30 a.m. and subsequently discovered the details of the drug arrest through media coverage.
“You just can’t write this stuff,” the owner said. “Unbelievable. Unbelievable that this is what people do.”
Victor Keisman, Breit’s grandfather, expressed to the outlet that it “doesn’t make any sense that he would get in any trouble.”
“He was working out his hours because for the FAA, [pilots] need at least 1,500 hours to be a commercial pilot of a jet, and he said he was going to get it by the end of this year,” the grandfather added.
Keisman mentioned that he has taken to the skies with his grandson on multiple occasions.
“He is very professional, so it doesn’t fit with his character. I have no idea what happened. I have no idea.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration announced its collaboration with Oceanside police, confirming that a search warrant was executed on Thursday morning.
The aircraft remained on the roadway for almost twelve hours as the inquiry was handed over to the North County Narcotics Task Force.
