Plane makes forced landing in Mojave Desert

MOJAVE DESERT, Calif. — Pilot Mark Dilullo said he didn't panic when the engine cut off on his Beechcraft Sundowner as he and his wife, Lisa Dilullo, were flying over the Mojave Desert on Sunday. Lisa, on the other hand, was really worried.

"I knew I needed her to focus on something, so I said it would be really good if you could video tape this," Mark told KNTV.

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The video she shot shows the propeller on the plane not moving as they dropped toward the desert floor. It would be a frightening sight for most people, but for Mark it was no problem.

"Fortunately for me, I'm a pilot examiner for the FAA. I test pilots and one of the maneuvers we had to do was a forced landing. So at least once a week, I get to see somebody else do a forced landing," said Mark.

Mark had about three minutes before he was forced to land on the bumpy desert terrain. He quickly sent out a distress call and got a response from an American Airlines pilot who was flying overhead.
 
"Told him, 'I got two souls on board. We've lost the engine. We are going down in the desert,'" said Mark.
 
Most importantly, Mark gave the pilot his exact coordinates for rescuers.

As the plane got closer and closer to the desert floor, Mark and Lisa braced for impact. Miraculously, the two weren't injured.

"There's always the idea that there is going to be a fire, and there's going to be a rollover," said Mark.
 
Fortunately, the plane came to a rough but safe stop.

Members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and fire department responded and, about an hour and a half later, Mark and Lisa were found.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

NBC/KNTV