Crime and Courts

Passenger in Oceanside emergency plane landing pleads guilty to drug charges

Troy Othneil Smith unzipped a backpack he was wearing and tossed a package into the bushes, prosecutors said, adding that the contents of the package tested positive for cocaine.

A small plane made an emergency landing on SR-76 in Oceanside.

A small plane made an emergency landing on SR-76 in Oceanside.

A man who was onboard a small plane that made an emergency landing on state Route 76 in Oceanside last fall has pleaded guilty to federal counts of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute.

Prosecutors allege Oceanside resident Troy Othneil Smith tried to hide a drug package from police shortly after the plane in which he was riding landed on the highway just after 1:30 a.m. Sept. 26, 2024.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the plane took off from San Diego on the morning of Sept. 25, flew to Mesa, Arizona, and was heading back to California the next day.

Mechanical issues forced the emergency landing on state Route 76, near Canyon Drive, according to prosecutors.

Some time after Smith and his co-pilot departed the plane and spoke with responding Oceanside police officers, Smith unzipped a backpack he was wearing -- drawing the attention of an officer -- and tossed a package into the bushes near a guardrail on the highway, prosecutors said.

The contents of the package tested positive for cocaine, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, and Smith was arrested.

Passenger in Oceanside emergency plane landing facing drug charges
The passenger on the plane has been charged with possession of cocaine and intent to distribute it.

Smith entered his guilty pleas last week in San Diego federal court.

His plea agreement states the package within his backpack contained just over two pounds of cocaine and includes admissions that on other occasions, he mailed out packages containing cocaine that were ultimately seized by the U.S. Postal Service.

Smith is set for sentencing in April.

At the time of the emergency landing, another man on the plane was arrested in connection with the incident, but prosecutors did not file charges against him.

Copyright City News Service
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