Jill Hazelbaker, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate's communications manager, said the single-engine Cessna 206 was en route to possible campaign sites when it lost power after takeoff, Phoenix television station KPHO reported.

Witnesses said the pilot maneuvered the plane to avoid hitting any houses. The pilot eventually landed the aircraft about 2 miles from the Glendale, Ariz., airport, just shy of high-voltage power lines.

"The pilot did a good job avoiding the houses coming down," witness Noel Guebara told the television station. "He just hit the top part of the fence and then skipped a couple of times."

An investigation is under way to determine the cause for the loss of power, KPHO reported Tuesday.

Hazelbaker said in a statement McCain, the U.S. senator from Arizona, and his wife, Cindy, were relieved to learn that everyone was safe.