https://6abc.com/plane-lands-on-ocean-city-bridge-ocnj-new-jersey-landon-lucas/10899907/OCEAN CITY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- A teen pilot is recounting the chaotic moments he was forced to land his banner plane on a Jersey shore bridge after suffering engine failure while in the air.
It happened around 12:38 p.m. Monday when 18-year-old pilot Landon Lucas, who was flying for Paramount Air Service, skillfully executed an emergency landing on the normally busy Rt. 52 causeway in Ocean City, New Jersey. "I was just sitting there listening to music and having my morning coffee. The next thing you know, I was like, 'Holy crap, I'm gonna go in the ocean,'" recalled Lucas.
He says he was making a second banner run in Atlantic City when his J-3 Piper Cub suffered complete engine failure.
"Immediately, I see my altimeter rolling down," he recalled.
He then immediately goes through the engine failure checklist.
"What was going wrong was the engine was starved of fuel from the airbox that was falling off," explained Lucas.
At this point, Lucas says he was four to five miles from the Ocean City Municipal Airport and a mile north of the Route 52 Causeway, also known as the 9th Street Bridge, which connects Somers Point and Ocean City, -- so he had to think fast. "I was just sitting there listening to music and having my morning coffee. The next thing you know, I was like, 'Holy crap, I'm gonna go in the ocean,'" recalled Lucas.
He says he was making a second banner run in Atlantic City when his J-3 Piper Cub suffered complete engine failure.
"Immediately, I see my altimeter rolling down," he recalled.
He then immediately goes through the engine failure checklist.
"What was going wrong was the engine was starved of fuel from the airbox that was falling off," explained Lucas.