A small plane carrying two pilots made an emergency landing on a busy road in North Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, striking the rear of a pickup truck as it came down — and everyone walked away unhurt.
The aircraft came down on Bayshore Road near Interstate 75 around noon after the pilots reported a mechanical problem, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said. FOX 13 reported the aircraft was a Cessna 172D Skyhawk. The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot reported an engine issue; what exactly failed has not been released.
Witnesses posted photos and video of the plane touching down in traffic. Brandon Hinson, who was driving a truck with a trailer on Bayshore Road, told WGCU the plane came down at an angle, hit the far left lane, then bounced into the middle lane and the turn lane before coming to a stop. Video of the landing was captured by Danny Roldan and shared by CBS News.
"During the landing, the aircraft crashed into the rear of a pickup truck traveling eastbound on Bayshore Road. No injuries have been reported at the scene," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Sheriff Carmine Marceno added: "Thankfully, this incident had a positive outcome, and no one was injured. Given the recent tragic news involving aviation accidents, we are especially grateful that everyone is safe."
The FAA is the lead agency investigating the landing. The incident came less than a week after a Learjet 60 crashed in Greenacres, Florida, on November 1, killing all nine people aboard — the tragedy the sheriff was referring to.
