Small plane lands on Tropicana Avenue

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2001 | 10:52 a.m.

Ben Merliss was enjoying chicken wings as he sat in his cab off East Tropicana Avenue Monday night when he noticed some curious traffic headed west.

"It was an airplane headed up the road like it was a car," Merliss said. "I'm a Las Vegas cabdriver, so you know I've seen a lot of stuff, but nothing like this."

The small plane, a Bonanza Beechcraft, was forced to make an emergency landing on Tropicana near Topaz Street at about 10:15 p.m. after the pilot reported having mechanical problems to McCarran International Airport flight controllers.

The pilot, who was bound for Las Vegas from Dana Point, Calif., attempted to make it to the airport, but couldn't, Metro Police Lt. Tim Leveque said.

"He was supposed to circle around and come in from the north, but he decided he couldn't make it and told the control tower he was going to try for the closer eastern runway," Leveque said. "Once he decided he wasn't going to make that, he found a safe spot and landed on Tropicana."

After landing, the pilot made a right turn into a Terrible Herbst car wash where he brought the plane to a stop. The pilot was the only one aboard the plane, and no one was hurt during the landing, Leveque said.

The National Transportation and Safety Board is investigating the emergency landing.

"It was amazing and pretty lucky, because there is a lot of traffic out here," Merliss said.