Emily Shelton, 21, safely made an emergency landing on a Florida highway after reporting oil pressure issues during the flight. Shelton successfully avoided vehicles, road signs and injuries.
What happened?
According to Floridian outlet WEAR, Shelton was flying an aircraft with a student on his first-ever lesson.
The aircraft, a Piper PA-28, belongs to the Pensacola Air Flight School and has been used for training since 2022.
Around 10:30 a.m. local time, Shelton, a flight instructor, reported smelling burning oil in the cockpit.
She told air traffic controllers in an audio recording obtained by LiveATC.net:
“Our oil pressure is dropping down into the red and we do have fumes in the cockpit from the oil. I don’t know if we’re going to make the airport… We are not making the airport, we’re going down on I-10.”
Photos from the incident showed the aircraft landed on the right edge of the highway, with other vehicles parked nearby and unharmed. No injuries were reported.
Statements from the scene
Eric Jordan, a truck driver who was on the highway when the plane made its emergency landing, told WSVN that he was lucky to have seen the plane’s shadow as it descended and was able to slow his truck to avoid it.
Jordan said that Shelton “kept it in control” despite the “close call”.
He further added that it was a “miracle” that she “landed the thing with no problem.”
Shelton, who has over 1,300 hours of total flight time, told WEAR that, during the emergency landing, she was focused on assuring the student that they would find a safe spot to land:
“I feel my training has prepared me exceptionally well for this moment. I’ve practised this exact scenario many times, just never thought I’d actually have to execute it in real life.”
What do you think about Shelton’s astonishing emergency landing? Let us know in the comments!
