The single-engine aircraft came to a rest against a rock face after an emergency landing on Shute Harbour Rd.
"A few seconds earlier I would have been underneath him."
Those were the words of Brad Thomas, first on the scene as a light plane landed on busy Shute Harbour Rd on Monday.
The single-engine aircraft, with one man and a dog on board, came down about 3pm after running out of fuel.
Brad Thomas, a Porters delivery driver, rounded a corner to see the plane rolling to rest in front of his ute.
"I pulled up a few lengths from him. I hit the anchors hard. I had to think quickly (about) what was going on," Mr Thomas said.
Stepping from his car he could smell aviation fuel on the road.
At the same time the pilot climbed from the damaged plane.
His dog followed and scampered from the scene.
"The pilot yelled at me to get back," he said.
"He was getting things out of the plane."
Mr Thomas said after checking the pilot's condition he tried to catch the dog, a Jack Russell terrier.
"The dog's name was Crash," Mr Thomas said.
"He took off, I tried to catch him but he went into the bushes."
Sergeant Simon Walter, of Whitsunday police, said the pilot was a 43-year-old Townsville man.
"He was attempting to land when the aircraft appeared to run out of fuel," Sgt Walter said.
"The engine spluttered, he lost altitude, he clipped a couple of trees."
Sgt Walter said the aircraft had damage to its nose and wing and Shute Harbour Rd was closed until the aircraft was removed.
The crash is the second aircraft incident in the area in the past month.
On January 19, a light plane crashed at Brandy Creek, critically injuring two of its three occupants.
The plane crashed into a clearing on a Brandy Creek property soon after taking off from a nearby private airstrip.
A Gold Coast local had a narrow escape in north Queensland today when a light plane crashed just metres ahead of him on a busy road.
Southport local Doug Waters is working on a boat at Shute Harbour and was driving from Airlie Beach to the harbour when the plane came down.
''I couldn't believe no one was hurt -- even the pilot walked away,'' he said.
''There is only one road to and from Shute Harbour and I drive it often. If I had been a few metres ahead I don't know if I would still be here.''
The plane came across the water and clipped trees next to the road before smashing to the ground.
Mr Waters said it was unknown what had caused the crash.
''Police are still investigating, but it was definitely my lucky day and the pilot's,'' he said.
''I work up here on a boat and may have to stay longer to help clean up this mess.''
Mr Waters is no stranger to plane crashes; he witnessed another crash at Gympie six years ago.
''A pilot ran out of fuel and tried to land his light aircraft,'' he said.
''He ended up on a road and didn't survive the impact. I'm just glad this time there was a better outcome.''
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
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