There are some things that simply defy explanation. Somewhere beyond that is what we see in this dashcam video showing a small airplane making perhaps the most incredible emergency landing we’ve ever seen. Any emergency landing that people walk away from is admirable. But this one could ride the line between skill and divine intervention.
If there wasn’t a comprehensive report accompanying the footage, we’d be tempted to call this AI. But the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) already has the incident noted on its website, and an official investigation underway. This pilot dodged vehicles, flew under a highway road sign, and landed safely. Even Hollywood stunt pilots would be hard-pressed to pull off this maneuver.
A Training Flight To Remember
Piper Emergency Landing Florida Highway Escambia County Sheriff’s OfficeEscambia County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook
The incident occurred in the morning of Monday, August 3, near Pensacola, Florida. According to WEAR News 3, Emily Shelton, a 21-year-old flight instructor, took off on a training flight with a new student pilot. The aircraft is a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, a common low-wing private airplane often used for flight training. The FAA statement says the pilot reported oil pressure issues; other reports say a smell of burning oil was reported in the cockpit.
As with any internal combustion engine, oil problems are never a good thing. But unlike a car, one can’t simply pull over and pop the hood to investigate. WEAR News reports the pilot told air traffic control they couldn’t make it back to the airport and would attempt a landing on Interstate 10. But to do it, Shelton had to thread the proverbial needle, flying just over a semi-truck driven by Eric Jordan while diving just under the scaffolding for highway signs spanning all lanes. The dashcam video from Jordan’s truck shows just how close this came to being a disaster.
How Did The Pilot Pull This Off?
This video shows the airplane just clearing the truck while missing the highway sign by perhaps inches. To emphasize just how extraordinary this is, those signs are usually 15 feet or so above the highway. Semi-trucks have a maximum allowable height of 13 feet, 6 inches. The final approach speed of a Piper Cherokee is typically around 75 mph, with landing speeds of around 60 mph.
If Jordan was traveling at typical highway speed for trucks, it’s safe to assume the Piper was still over 70 mph when it went overhead. If you watch the video carefully, you can see the propeller isn’t moving, so at this point the engine was either shut off or locked up, meaning the Piper was a glider. Fortunately, the highway ahead of the truck was clear, allowing Shelton to set the aircraft down without incident. Yes, not only were there no injuries, it appears the aircraft was undamaged, too. That is, except for the engine.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook, the two occupants stepped out of the aircraft and a crew pushed it safely off the highway. Shelton told WEAR News that her training kicked in, and she assured the student – who was on their very first flight – that they’d land safely. While pilots do train for emergency situations, we think Shelton is being extremely modest. One doesn’t simply clear a semi-truck while diving under a highway road sign in a dead-stick airplane. That’s full on Sierra Hotel, if you’ll pardon the military slang.
We wouldn’t be surprised if the student in question decides to skip the second lesson. But we sure hope Shelton keeps right on flying. Her kind of skill goes way beyond mere training.
Source: WEAR Channel 3 News
