PENSACOLA, Fla. (WSVN) — The pilot of a small plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a Florida highway after engine trouble.
The small aircraft touched down on Interstate 10 in Pensacola on Monday morning, while avoiding traffic.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the pilot was with a student when their plane ran into trouble minutes after taking off from Pensacola International Airport,
“We do now have a burning oil smell in the cockpit, I don’t know if we’re going to make the airport. We are not making the airport, we’re going down on I-10,” said the pilot.
Trucker Eric Jordan was on I-10 when the plane landed, and shared video of the plane landing safely on the highway.
“‘if I wouldn’t have seen that shadow over my truck and slowed down, he would have been in the side of the cab. As you saw in the video it was a close call from the truck and the sign, but he landed, he kept it in control,” said Jordan, “By the grace of God he was able to land that plane in the middle of the interstate and they’re not getting hit by another vehicle, so it all worked out.”
Following the landing, Jordan put his caution lights on to get other drivers to slow down.
He said the pilot and the student got off the plane and crews pushed it off the interstate.
Jordan also said he was grateful no one was hurt.
“Everyone was safe — he was a really good pilot, he was a good instructor, it was a miracle that he landed the thing with no problem,” said Jordan.
The FHP said that it appeared that an engine problem was to blame for the emergency landing.
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