By Miriam Raftery

December 24, 2022 (El Cajon) – A small plane experienced an emergency over Gillespie Field in El Cajon last night, when its landing gear failed to lock into place.  Heartland Fire Department responded in preparation for a potential emergency landing while the plane, which had an hour and a half of fuel, circled repeatedly over the area for nearly an hour looping left to right, struggling to manually lower the landing gear. 

By Tom and Nadin Abbott

October 11, 2021 (Santee) The call came in at approximately 12:15 p.m. to the Heartland Dispatch center. A small plane had gone down in a residential neighborhood of Santee, initally reported at 9915 N. Magnolia Ave.

The plane, later identified as a Cessna 340 twin engine six-seater by the Federal Aviation Administration, crashed into at least one house that was destroyed by the impact, which was actually on the corner of Green Castle and Jeremy. Neighboring homes also suffered damage from the flames.

Two people were confirmed killed on scene and two transported to the hospital, according to Santee Assistant Chief Justin Matsushita. The injured were in the first house hit. Their condition is unknown, but they were conscious when transported.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson

October 19, 2018 (El Cajon) – After losing engine power aboard a small plane, a flight instructor took over controls from a student pilot and made an emergency landing on westbound Interstate 8 in El Cajon.  The flawless landing avoided damage to the aircraft, vehicles on the freeway or property; no one was injured.

The pilot, 25, and student pilot, 36, both of San Diego, were inbound to Gillespie Field in El Cajon when the emergency occurred, said Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway patrol.

Two lanes were blocked briefly until the aircraft was pushed to the shoulder, blocking the Mollison Avenue off-ramp which remains closed while the plane’s wings are disassembled for removal from the Interstate.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo of crash site, courtesy ECM news patner 10 news

July 25, 2018 (Julian) – Three people who died in a May 10^th crash of a flight school-owned plane at Volcan Mountain in Julian which sparked a brush fire have been identified by the County Medical Examiner’s office.

 The victims were Rongwei Zhang, 23, Qinyang Zuo, 28, and Zehe Zhang, 24.  All died of blunt force injuries and multiple thermal injuries; all deaths were ruled accidental and toxicology reports found no contributing factors.

By Sue Strom, Advocates of Safe Airport Policies (ASAP)

January 21, 2018 (El Cajon) -- We hope your year is off to a happy and healthy start.  However, for those of us concerned about heavy local traffic, safety, noise, toxic air and lead overhead, with protections for homeowners few and far between, the new year is already daunting.

FAA approval for an increase in air traffic... a state of the art flight training center... the lengthening of the 27L training runway...the redesign and enlargement of the Bradley Street interchange off hwy 67... and the development of 9 five acre parcels of land for aviation usage called the Cajon Air Center are all coming together step by step over the next several years to form the perfect storm.

East County News Service

March 25, 2017 (El Cajon) – Cal Fire and Heartland Fire crews responded to a call at 6:30 this morning in the 1500 block of North Magnolia Ave. in unincorporated El Cajon, where they found an auto repair shop fully engulfed in flames.

By Mike Allen

February 4, 2017 (El Cajon) -- While many residents near El Cajon’s Gillespie Field decry an increase in activity from flight schools, proponents of a long-planned airport expansion say the project could generate thousands of high-paying, high tech jobs, and be a boon to East County.

By James Kecskes, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 2, 2016 (El Cajon)--County officials and community members broke ground on Gillespie Field Airport’s new Cajon Air Center on October 31st.

The groundbreaking kicked off the first phase of a multi-phase redevelopment project in unincorporated El Cajon.

East County News Service

July 20, 2016 (Gillespie Field) - Join the Santee Chamber of Commerce at their first-ever Black Tie Car Show Gala on Saturday, August 20th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at High Performance Aircraft at Gillespie Field.

By Mike Allen

January 28, 2016 (El Cajon)--A plan to expand operations at Gillespie Field and develop a 70-acre site once occupied by the El Cajon Speedway was put in a holding pattern because of a lack of federal funding.

Earlier this month, board members from the Gillespie Field Development Council, a five-member board that oversees the county-owned airport, heard that expected federal grant funding to finance the estimated $30 million project wasn’t available.

Same plane previously landed on highway 52; residents voice alarm

August 3, 2015 (Santee) – A plane owned by a flight school at Gillespie Field crashed into a Santee neighborhood at 9:15 this morning, damaging two cars and a home. The pilot died on impact and a  passenger later died in a hospital of critical injuries, Santee Patch reports. (Photo, left: ECM news partner 10 News.)

The plane, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, is currently registered to the Volar Corp. flight school at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. The same plane made an emergency landing on State Route 52 in 2013 directly in front of ECM reporter Paul Kruze (photo, right), 10 News reports. Back then the plane was registered to Golden State Flying Club, another local flight school.  

Advocates for Safe Airport Policies (ASAP), has long voiced concerns over increased flight school traffic over homes nearby.  ASAP leader Sue Strohm shared her reaction with ECM.:

June 17, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Air Show San Diego will take to the skies over Gillespie Field in San Diego June 20 and 21. This year’s “AirShow San Diego” (formerly known as “Wings Over Gillespie”) will feature a representative collection of aircraft and acts to support the commemoration of the 70^th anniversary of the end of WWII.

View a presentation on the Gillespie Field Sports Village concept by clicking here.

Tune in Friday to our radio show at 5 p.m. on KNSJ 89.1 FM to hear our interview with Robert Germann, proponent of the Gillespie Field Sports Village.

By Miriam Raftery

February 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Imagine a new Chargers stadium and sports entertainment complex next to Gillespie Field on vacant land formerly occupied by the El Cajon Speedway.  Sounds far-fetched? The 250-acre  site is surrounded by four major freeways and a trolley stop close by.  Approximately 180 acres are currently vacant—and none of this land has been used for aviation.

Chargers fans’ future is in limbo, with the team threatening to move to Los Angeles County and share a stadium with the Raiders.  The team wants a new stadium, but thus far San Diego county and city leaders have not come up with a solid plan for an alternative location and environmental contamination prevents rebuilding on the existing Qualcomm stadium site.

By Nadin Abbott

June 25, 2014 (San Diego)--The San Diego County Board of Supervisors renewed the Gillespie Field Development Council, despite serious concerns raised by several members of the public.

The council runs the day to day activities at the Gillespie Field airport for both El Cajon, which appoints two members, and the County, which appoints three.

Robert Germann told the Board that he opposes the agreement since it does not include the City of Santee. He told Supervisors,“Santee should have a seat on the board. I am surprised they are not here demanding one.” The airport has one gate exiting into Santee, built at Santee’s expense.