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Subscribe to RSSCOOPER CITY, Fla. -- A small plane made an emergency landing on a busy Florida street on Saturday afternoon, officials said.
A 1965 Mooney landed on Sheridan Street near Douglas Road around noon after an engine problem, according to the Pembroke Pines Police Department. The aircraft was making its way to the North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, officials said.
The pilot and the passengers were not injured but the plane's wings were clipped when it ran into some trees, police said.
See photo, read the original report at NBCMiami.com
"It's a good day when an aircraft can land on a roadway anywhere, but especially on Sheridan Street, in the weather and the traffic that was out here and end up with no injuries," said Tom Gallagher, public information officer for Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue.
Authorities said the four-seater aircraft was coming down the eastbound lanes that were clear at the time. Once traffic began moving on the street, though, the pilot moved the plane to the median where it struck some trees, officials said.
"I was shopping at Publix and I saw the plane coming down and thought, whoah, that's freaky," said resident Steve Romney.
The plane was coming from Georgia, according to police. The last-minute landing shut down the eastbound lanes for hours as authorities worked to clear out the plane.
"It could have been catastrophic. The pilot used a lot of skill, he was evaluating the air space and his landing area on his way down," Gallagher said.
The incident remains under investigation.
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See here for video:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-small-plane-crash-brief-20120519,0,7223991.story
My bad, I thought he said that this was the runway people, not Run away people.
South Florida Democrats pitched for additional funding for expanding airport services today stating that many General Aviation Flights are having to use city, county, state and federal highways for landing strips and that the Ryan Budget will eliminate funding for GA and cause increased highway landings in the future.
"...and I thought, Whoa, that's freaky." LOL. I just picture this very laid-back reaction, like "Dude! Check it out!"
Take-offs are optional...
Landings are mandatory.
Glad no one was hurt. I used to live near there and did touch-and-go's out of that airport in the 70's when I was taking flying lessons. Sheridan Street is a ways from the airport, though, so the pilot must have had trouble before his final approach.
I don't know anything about planes but isn't a 1965 a freakin antique. These planes in the air are getting so old. the last time I took my wife to the airport to board a jet it looked like someone had painted it with a roller. runs were easily visible down the side of the plane. this was a fairly big jet oh well.
truthhurts, aircraft are required to undergo rigorous inspections. A properly maintained aircraft can be safely flown many many years. To give an extreme example, B-52 bombers were so old that some were piloted by grandsons of some of the original pilots.
Well Said Gumps.
Annual inspections on private aircraft, like this Mooney for example. And A,B,C, and D checks on commercial aircraft. The series of checks also depend on the type of aircraft: Jet, Turbo Prop, Size, etc.
1965, if the bird is maintained and inspected regularly, will last my life time and more.
Had a friend that died in one of those. If my single engine, 1999 Dodge had wings I would not fly in it.
I live near North Perry airport which was built years ago when there was nothing but open land. Now it sits in the middle of a neighbor hood consisting of hundreds of homes. I remember more then one accident over the years where planes have crash landed into homes. But as they say, "Perry was there 1st". I've flown in & our of there a few times with my husband in our Cessna. The cocktail lounge near the runway is great fun. lol Ahh.. Flori-duh, my home town. Gotta love it.
They apparently experienced a common error: trusting the Mooney pilot's handbook as far a range goes. The plane won't quite stretch as far as the book says on full tanks.
When I hear about stuff like this I think about seeing a plane in the rear view mirror.
I want to live in Florida ; (
The devil with the wings; how are the trees?
Rescue experts double-hugged the trees as an additional precaution.
Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.
The prop is only on the plane to keep the pilot cool. Let the prop stop, and you will immediately see the pilot start sweating.
Great One. LOL
Congrats to this very skilled pilot!
This guy was extremely lucky. Generally speaking, attempting to land on a street/highway is a bad idea and many times ends up badly.
Why do they use the term "Crash Landed"? That to me is an oxymoron. Either it crashed or it landed, it can't do both...just sayin'
Actually it can schoolyard. A crash can be minor and bend a little sheet metal, or it can be severe and fatal. Either way, since the airplane is on the ground it is considering a landing.
Regarding the age of the plane, as long as it is checked regularly for corrosion and cracks in the airframe, it's good to go for a long time. Today's cars, on the other hand, are not designed as well and wear out more quickly. Small planes are just as safe as the large ones. The big difference is the sloppy way the FAA writes and then fails to enforce the rules concerning pilot training. A lot of the fault can also be laid at the feet of many general aviation pilot not continuing to improve their flying and safety skills once the get their ticket. Flying from VFR into IMC takes the highest toll and running out of fuel still ranks quite high in the causes. M
Many pilots still don't understand the dynamics of the aerodynamic stall and how quickly it can turn into an unrecoverable spin close to the ground. The main reason for the Colgon Air crash was the pilot ignoring the "stick shaker" that was warning him of an impending stall...and then...fighting the stick pusher that was trying to get the nose down. The plane was also carrying ice which just made it worse. These are basic things that should have been taught at his first flight school, not to mention whatever flight academy he went to.
Wally- lets all be glad this pilot was not trained by the Air Farce otherwise he would have just ejected and let the airplane crash in to a busy neighborhood. EVERY pilot understands what an aerodynamic stall is and most go out and practice on their own in addition to the minimum Biannual FAA required flight exam. Students of Aviation read and study to improve their own skills and knowledge. This is why airlines OVERWHELMINGLY hire civilian trained aviators to fly their planes. Even the few pilots with military backgrounds are REQUIRED to obtain civilian ratings and civilian flight time before being considered for an interview and as a result --- civilian aviation is safer than it ever has been.
Wally, what makes you think that the pilot of the Colgon crash "ignored the stick shaker"? Yes, there was ice on the wings, and that ice drastically changed (for the worse) the lift characteristics of the wings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZgZrnb5rW0
They always talk about how skilled the pilot is and what a great job he did and then we find out he ran out of gas. What skill!
While there is never a great excuse for running out of fuel, there is something you should know there genius.....By the Federal Aviation Regulations (a very thick book!!!) aircraft fuel gauges are only required to be accurate when the tanks are empty.
Give me the chapter and paragraph in the FAR's that says they are only required to be accurate when they are empty. I have been calibrating fuel tanks for 18 years and you always start at zero and then add specified amounts to ensure you fuel load matches the gauges. If while it is in service there is a discrepancy between the gauges and what actually in the tank it would be placed on MEL. Never the less you really should not need the gauges if you were calculating you fuel burn correctly to begin with. Oh and by the way I have been flying for 22 years and I have not ran out of gas yet. Sounds like you have though.
Remember, when flying inverted,-Down is up,and up is deadly!