What began as a student’s first flight lesson ended up becoming a maneuver that averted tragedy. A 21-year-old aviation instructor successfully made an emergency landing of a small plane on a busy highway in Florida after the engine failed mid-flight, with no injuries reported.
Pilot Emily Shelton was conducting a training flight on Monday with a student aboard a Piper PA-28 Cherokee from Pensacola Air Flight School when she detected a smell of burned oil in the cabin. Shortly after, she noticed a drop in oil pressure and the engine ceased to function.
After declaring an emergency to air traffic control, Shelton made a critical decision: to descend over Interstate 10 (I-10) in Pensacola, reported CBS News.
The maneuver was captured by the camera installed in Eric Jordan's truck, driver for the company Ecowaste Solution. The footage shows how the aircraft descends at high speed and passes under a metal signaling structure with only a few meters to spare before landing among the vehicles on the highway.
According to CBS News, one of the truck drivers traveling through the area stated that he nearly collided with the aircraft.
Despite the delicacy of the situation, the landing concluded without any injuries to the instructor, her student, or the drivers on the road.
The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that no vehicles were involved in the incident and that, after the aircraft was removed, the lanes were reopened a few hours later.
With around 1,300 flight hours, Shelton downplayed the incident and attributed the success of the maneuver to his training as a pilot.
"I feel that my training has exceptionally well prepared me for this moment," he declared to WEAR News. "I have practiced this exact scenario many times."
The young woman has been recognized by American media as the protagonist of a maneuver that likely prevented an accident with fatal consequences.
Although infrequent, this type of emergency landing has been recorded in Florida. In December 2025, a small plane descended onto Interstate 95 and ended up colliding with a car, leaving a woman with minor injuries. In 2022, another case made headlines worldwide when Darren Harrison, an inexperienced passenger, managed to land a plane after the pilot became incapacitated during the flight.
According to Univision, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation to determine the causes of the mechanical failure and review the circumstances of the incident, as is customary following an emergency landing outside of an airport.
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