Plane makes emergency landing in Windsor

A pilot emerged unhurt Saturday afternoon after making an emergency landing in a vineyard near Eastside Road and Flora Marie Lane in Windsor.

The emergency call went out at 3:23 p.m.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office dispatched its Henry 1 helicopter, which verified from the air that the pilot was safely out of the plane, according to a Redcom dispatch official.

A Press Democrat photographer at the scene of the landing spoke to the pilot, who said he had been attempting to land at the nearby Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport when his engine went out.

The pilot, William James Tomkovic of Healdsburg, said he had thought he could make it to the Windsor Golf Club course, but instead had to land in a vineyard.

Tomkovic landed successfully, putting the Cessna 172H down facing south on a single row of grapevines with the plane’s wheels between rows.

From the crash site, other airplanes could be seen landing at the airport.

Further details were not immediately available.

Staff Photographer Kent Porter and Staff Writer Jeremy Hay contributed to this report.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.