Pilot Lands Plane In The Middle Of Busy Traffic With No Casualties

Chaos descended upon a major road in Gainesville, Georgia when a small plane made an emergency landing in busy traffic on Monday. The Associated Press reports that the Hawker Beechcraft Bonanza had just departed Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport when its single engine failed. The pilot attempted to turn back to the airport, but when he realized he wasn't going to make it, he put the plane down on the nearby road despite heavy traffic.

Video captured the entire scene, from the plane descending rapidly into the clear oncoming lanes of traffic to hitting the ground hard and slamming into three stopped line of cars waiting at a light. Two people in these cars were treated for injuries. Both pilots walked away from the wreckage, from Fox 5 Atlanta:

"We lost our engine taking off out of Gainesville and realized, tried to glide back, did everything by the book, but realized we weren't gonna make it back with how far out we were, so we came down the road," said the pilot, Thomas Rogers.

As he realized his plight, Rogers radioed his goodbyes to air traffic control. "I think we're not going to make it," he said. "Please tell my wife, Molly, I love her, and my parents. I love them so much." Fortunately, he's alive and well to tell them himself.

Despite the damage and minor injuries, what the pilot pulled off here is quite amazing. Even Gainesville Police Capt. Kevin Holbrook said so to Fox 5 Atlanta:

"The fact that this plane came down, did not strike any power poles, any power lines, and only hit three vehicles is absolutely remarkable," Holbrook said.

When the engine failed, it seems the pilot initially tried to turn around and glide back to the airport. This is commonly called "The Impossible Turn," because it is nearly impossible to glide an airplane at such a low altitude through such a tight turn. What saved him was realizing this wasn't going to work, and choosing to land on the road instead.

The other thing that saved him was that he flew the airplane all the way down to the ground rather than giving up and letting it crash. He was in control all the way to the end, avoiding numerous power lines and aiming for the oncoming lane that was clear of traffic. His descent was too steep for a normal landing, but this wasn't a normal landing, and he was aiming for clear pavement with room to roll out. He only lost control once on the ground, between the hard hit and the damage to the tires and landing gear. They say any landing you can walk away from is a good one, which makes this a good one.