Two Airplanes Land on Florida Roads in Separate Incidents

Three people were hospitalized after the improvised touchdowns.

Beechcraft Baron 58
Beechcraft Baron 58 [Shutterstock/BlueSnap]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A twin-engine aircraft made a forced landing on a Florida interstate (I-95) during rush hour after experiencing a loss of engine power.
  • The plane collided with a car upon landing, but miraculously, only the car's driver sustained minor injuries; all four individuals involved survived.
  • The incident involved a Beechcraft 95-C55 Baron on an instructional flight, which couldn't make it back to the airport after engine failure.
  • This was the second plane to make a forced landing on a Florida roadway that day due to engine issues.
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There was dramatic video but no serious injuries when a twin-engine aircraft made a forced landing on a Florida interstate during rush hour on Monday evening.

The aircraft came down on a car in the southbound lanes upon touchdown. There were two people in the car and two people onboard the aircraft. The driver of the car was the only one injured and was transported to a hospital with what authorities described as minor injuries.

According to the preliminary report filed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft, a Beechcraft 95-C55 Baron N95KC registered to Tailwinds Flying LLC, was on an instructional flight. It experienced a loss of engine power around 5:39 p.m. EST.

A review of the ADS-B information shows the aircraft took off from Cocoa-Merritt Island Airport (KCOI) at 4:31 p.m. and then performed a series of flight maneuvers in the area for about an hour.

When the aircraft developed engine issues, the pilot started to head back to the airport but realized that the airplane was not going to make it, so the decision was made to land on the interstate in the southbound lanes.

Dashcam video shows the airplane fuselage coming down on top of the car. The landing gear collapses as the airplane tumbles over the car and comes to rest nose down with its tail against a median. The car, with its roof mangled, comes to a stop next to the airplane.

The twin-engine was the second airplane to make a forced landing on a freeway in Florida on Monday. Earlier, a Cessna 172 N64859 on approach to DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED) lost power while on approach and came down on a roadway. The pilot and passenger were injured and taken to a local hospital.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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