E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSView more videos at: http://nbcmiami.com.
A small plane made an emergency landing on the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 27 in South Florida on Sunday morning, but no injuries were reported.
The pilot told NBC6 he was flying from Opa-locka to Sebring, Fla., and was at an altitude of about 600 feet when he noticed his windshield becoming covered with oil.
The pilot, a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue lieutenant, did not want to be interviewed on camera but he spoke about how he brought the single-engine Cessna 182 to a stop in the right lane of U.S. 27 North, about 300 yards south of the Griffin Road exit.
The engine conked out and he knew he was in trouble -- but he also knew U.S. 27 was nearby, so he made a nice, easy landing on the highway in no traffic, he said.
The plane, whose tail number is N5133R, was made in 1978, Federal Aviation Administration records show.
Sunday's emergency landing followed the crash of a small plane in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., parking lot Friday that killed all three people aboard.
On Saturday, NFL player Donte' Stallworth and his girlfriend Soleil Guerrero received serious burns when when a hot air balloon carrying them crashed into power lines in Homestead, Fla.
Leave a Comment:
Who if anyone is inspecting these small planes that are falling out of the sky at an alarming rate? My guess is that it is left up to the owner who may or may not have the expertise to insure that the plane is in excellent shape. Do we need a major catastrophe before mandatory inspections of small planes in instituted. This is not a "big brother or nanny state issue" this is a safety issue for those of us on the ground.
There "are" yearly inspections. Under Federal Aviation Inspection manual #43. Then, #43.7 they give you the OK.
That is, if it passes. If not, you must have a certified mechanic inspector work on it with all the paperwork, "then" you have to go back through inspection to pass.
Similar to a car...
There's nothing like posting out of ignorance isn't there, SIESTASIS? First of all, airplanes are not falling out of the sky "at an alarming rate" Secondly, as Creek Dog pointed out, private aircraft must undergo an annual inspection by a certified mechanic. Aircraft are subject to more stringent requirements than automobiles - you wouldn't think twice about getting in your car and driving down the road with worn brake linings, a burned out headlight and a cracked windshield..
Did you notice that the plane was built in 1978? A lot of aircraft are flying that are at least that old - because they are well maintained.
An annual inspection is required for all private aircraft. But sometimes errors occur. One year, after my plane was inspected, I did the proper walk-around inspection, including checking the engine compartment. Everything looked OK, so I got into it and took off with the intention of doing a little "Sunday circling", just to make sure all was OK. I got airborne, and just as I started my left turn to leave the traffic pattern, my windshield became covered with oil, that was gushing out from under the engine cowling. I immediately turned back to the downwind end of the runway, hollered "mayday", and while I was on final approach, my engine quit. I had to glide to the runway, barely able to see enough to make a safe landing. It turned out that the mechanic had installed a new oil filter, but when he attached the required wire to secure it, he failed to tighten it properly. The pressure from the running engine literally unscrewed the filter and it fell off. So to blame the pilot for something like that is unfair.
There are a lot of DC-10's that still fly passengers built in the late 60's.
Whenever you get on board when taking a flight, look at the door jamb of the jet as you are boarding and you'll see a small aluminum plaque that tells you the year it was built along with a lot of other information about the plane.
Just like the door jamb of a car that has all the info on it.
Jerry,
You must have been totally freaked out. Were you able to keep your cool or did you think something like, "This is it!"?
It's always nice to hear a story from a pilot because it's obvious they lived through it if they're talking about it...
Was there any action against the mechanic at fault? He must've felt pretty bad about it. Lucky you're ok.
SIESTASIS-uh oh another knee jerk liberal, lets ban all planes now. Watch out Diane Feinstein might get on the case. BTW moron, required annual inspections are done on all aircraft, with everything documented in log books. The inspection is far more crtical to complete than automobiles. Before you go with any more guessing do a little more research. BTW pilots are required to have a biannual flight review, and also a medical exam every 2 years by a FAA qualified examiner. Do you have such requirements for driving your car? This guy proves you just can't fix stupid.
It's too bad that the world is full of SIESTASISes, and too often, they're in positions of authority, and we get bad laws as a result.
Robert, SIESTASIS was asking for something he didn't know already existed. But you just had to trundle out the "Ban _____" BS for the eleven millionth time, didn't you? And just to make the idiocy more piquant, he wasn't even calling for a ban on anything, just inspections. The fact he didn't know of the existing requirements doesn't make him a "ban _____" "liberal"(tm) any more it would anyone else who made an honest mistake...
SIESTASIS actually does have a point, which is that the existing inspections are clearly insufficient. We need more safety processes. I don't need a freaking plane landing in my backyard.
No, neither of you have a point. Given that air crashes and/or forced landings are very rare, existing inspections clearly are sufficient. All aircraft get an annual inspection, and ones used commercially (e.g., for rental) get inspections every 100 flying hours. Engines are overhauled every 1,500 to 2,400 flying hours (depending on certification). Moreover, aircraft owners tend to be much morededicated to routine maintenance of their aircraft than non-pilots are of their cars. When was the last time you drove over 3,000 miles without an oil change? People do that all the time. Heck, when was the last time you checked your oil? Pilots do it before every flight.
When was the last time a 'freaking plane' landed in your back yard? Or the back yard of someone you know? Or someone in your city? Care to guess the odds?
Yea maybe you should check out the FAR/AIM's before you start letting your ignorance shine!
I always think of the "Far Side" cartoon when things like this happen, "Objects in mirror" one where the dude is looking out his side view and all he sees is a great big eye ball. GM CDBro, all suspects usual and unusual.
No injuries, no property damage. Why is this news?
landing on a public hiway - gets interesting when they have to pull the wings to trailer it back to the airport
Because it's somethig we all hope to see, so we can tell our grandkids about it, like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster.
When ever some liquid or solid lands on the windshield (so long as the windshield holds). Visibility goes down to pretty much zero; trying to peer through the much that's coating on the windshield. Kudos to the pilot for landing safely!
Hear! Hear!
Glad the pilot is alright.
I had a few "This is it" moments back when I used to fly. Gotta keep your cool and ride it to the end. Oh, and a bit of luck doesn't hurt! Sounds like this guy managed well on both counts.
My favorite airplane, a Piper J-3, was built in 1941.
I regularly land it on unpaved, grass runways, ON PURPOSE!!
OMG!!!
Best laugh I've had all morning! =:^)
(As a helicopter pilot, MOST of my landings have been off-airport.)
Good Afternoon All,
I use to be one of those people. When about 20 years ago, before I got my license. I remember when I started looking for my first plane and they were like 1950 and 60 models... I was like (NO WAY!!! NO THANKS!!!) Then I was educated, by many pilots and aircraft mechanics alike. All us pilots get the same thing from time to time as we fly. Kids and Non-Pilot adults alike will sometimes say the same thing. That plane was built WHEN??? Ha, Ha... Funny. That is just a testiment as to the care and maintenance that pilots put into our aircraft that we rely on to bring us home to our families safely, as well as to protect our families, friends and even strangers when we take them with us. I had a friend ask me one time if it was safe? I said well let me tell you one thing... even if I didn't know like or care about you, I (LOVE) ME, so if you are with me, you'll be just fine. We pilots here this quite often too, they sure are a lot of airplanes crashing.... Well just ONCE, I truly wish ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX would put on the evening news the Number of Auto Accidents in the U.S. today WAS, and Number of Aircraft Accidents in the U.S. today was, and also include the number of fatalities. This way, Non-Pilots could get a (SMALL) perspective. Happy and Safe flying out there my fellow pilots. N#6641T
A36TC? Too rich for MY blood! (There's a particular 1970 C172K I'd love to have.)
In the 1970s, aircraft production hit a peak of about 15,000 per year. That dropped in the '80s with the recession, and then plummeted after piston singles went out of production. When the planes did start coming back, the companies had been bought by large conglomerates that had a different idea of what flying was all about. I have a graph on my home computer that shows that once the Big Parent Companis took over (for example, Textron), the price of an airplane skyrocketed. Remember when a Cessna 172 Skyhawk was a 'family plane'? Now you need a seven-figure salary to buy one!
So it's no wonder al all that our fleet is 35 to 50 years old. Nobody can afford new ones.
What non-pilots seem to forget is that airplanes are not cars. Aluminum doesn't rust. Maintenance is required -- not something you can put off until after you get your 90" TV. And most of all, as you alluded to, none of us want to get dead! If we're flying it, it's a pretty safe bet we're satisfied with its airworthiness.
Most of these smaller aircraft were designed and built decades ago. One of the most successful planes ever built was the DC-3 and its variants, which came from the late thirties. Many of them are still in service today. Buffalo Airways has several older aircraft which are well maintained, but accidents can still happen...like when the Lockheed Electra's right gear would come down.
As long as the engines are overhauled when due, the main concern is periodic inspections for corrosion and metal fatigue/cracking. The same goes for the smaller aircraft.
that was better than landing in the glades. hiighway 27 used to be pretty desolate in some areas
The story appears to say that he was flying cross country at 600 feet. I hope that it was 6000 feet (or even 1600 feet). My instructor would have been pretty mad if he ever caught me cruising at 600 feet!
Agreed AlanD. What in the hell was he doing at 600 feet?? But I thank you Robert who must be a pilot. I kee my small plane very well maintained but still I know something like this could happen. I do my preflight every time and never skip anything. What a great job by the pilot putting his plane down. Apparently Siestasis has no clue what so ever about aviation....read on the subject before you speak.
Siestasis...please read a book before you open your mouth. I keep my small plane in tip top shape. I take it up every other weekend even if I'am not going any place. I do it just to make sure it is mechanically sound. For AlanD agreed what the hell was he doing at 600 feet?? Robert you must be a pilot Siestasis just has no clue what he is talking about. Grat job by the pilot....but still 600ft???