WESTON (CBSMiami) — A plane that made an emergency landing on US 27 in west Broward Sunday morning was back in business, taking off from the same highway it landed on hours earlier.
Three people were on board when the plane had engine trouble. Luckily, no one was injured.
A mechanic spent all day working on the single-engine Cessna casually pulled over on the highway’s grassy side in Weston.
By Sunday evening, pilot Arnaldo Santiago lined up the plane on the highway in front of Broward Sheriff’s emergency units and a fire truck. They stopped traffic so the pilot could safely use US 27 as an airstrip and take off.
Early Sunday morning, Santiago and two friends left West Palm Beach to spend the day in Key West.
However, 40 minutes into the flight, something went wrong with the engine and forced Santiago to touch down wherever he could.
He glided onto the southbound highway for about a quarter-mile, just south of I-595, before pulling onto the grass and out of the way.
Santiago told CBS4’s Donna Rapado that he’s been flying for a year and a half and said fortunately, they train for scenarios like this.
“It just took me a couple of seconds, there’s a plane coming over the road,” said Ray Soucatt, who witnessed the landing while on his motorcycle and immediately called Florida Highway Patrol.
“The engine wasn’t running, the propeller wasn’t turning,” said Soucatt. “He coasted quite a ways. He coasted underneath the overpass and I actually saw the plane pull over out of the main road.”
Despite the oddity, he said the plane landed smoothly.
“It looked smooth. It looked like it was executed perfectly,” said Soucatt.
Santiago was forced to wait patiently with federal aviation investigators and a mechanic looking into the problem.
Meanwhile, Soucatt had to come back hours later to check on things, unable to shake what he had seen.
“You know, I see it on TV and here it’s happening in real life for me. It was quite a shock and I’ve thought about it all day,” he said.
It’s unclear what exactly happened to the plane or its engine, as federal aviation investigators look into it.
Santiago’s two friends went back to West Palm Beach by car, the pilot telling CBS4 he didn’t “want to tempt fate.”
Story and video: http://miami.cbslocal.com
A Cessna 172 airplane had to make an emergency landing on the side of U.S. Highway 27, south of Interstate 75 in Weston Sunday morning.
According to Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue, three men from Palm Beach were traveling to the Keys, when the plane began experiencing engine trouble causing the impromptu landing.
"I look north and there's an airplane coming in over the road," said Ray Soucatt, a witness to the landing. "It just took me a couple of seconds and I'm like, there's a plane landing on the road."
None of the men sustained any injuries as a result of the emergency landing.
The pilot of the aircraft says the FAA is at the scene of the incident and that authorities intend on shutting down part of US-27, so he can take off from the scene.
Story and video: http://www.nbcmiami.com
WESTON (WSVN) -- A Cessna aircraft made an emergency landing on US-27 in Weston, Sunday morning.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
7News witnessed the pilot speaking with local authorities and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the aircraft had an engine failure and landed safely on the median of the highway.
There were three people on board the plane.
Story, comments and photo: http://www.wsvn.com
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. - A pilot and two passengers onboard a single-engine Cessna 172 were forced to land along the side of U.S. Highway 27, just south of Interstate 75, Sunday morning after experiencing some mechanical issues.
Broward Sheriff's Office deputies said the men were coming from the North Palm Beach County Airport and were headed to the Florida Keys.
The pilot, who didn't want to be identified, told Local 10 News that he experienced "engine roughness" and did not want to further jeopardize the flight.
No one was injured after the emergency landing.
Story and photos: http://www.local10.com
WESTON, Fla. - A small plane made an emergency landing in Weston Sunday morning, according to officials.
The single-engine Cessna 172 reported engine failure and landed safely on the median of Hwy 27 with three people onboard, the pilot and two passengers.
According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the plane took off from the North Palm Beach County Airport and was en route to the Florida Keys.
No one was injured.
Story, video and photo: http://www.wptv.com
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