Author Topic: 'You do what you got to do': Pilot, wife OK after aircraft forced to land  (Read 1877 times)

Offline KB4TEZ

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https://cbs12.com/news/local/you-do-what-you-got-to-do-pilot-wife-ok-after-aircraft-forced-to-land-in-palm-city

'You do what you got to do': Pilot, wife OK after aircraft forced to land in Palm City.
PALM CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — A small aircraft makes an emergency landing in Palm City, just feet away from homes.

It happened around 3:50 p.m. Monday afternoon.

“I just landed the airplane. You do what you got to do when the engine quits,” said the pilot, a Palm City resident.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the man was on his way to Witham Field at Martin County Airport in Stuart.

A deputy with the Martin County Sheriff's Office said the engine failed and it lost power 700 feet in the air.

The plane struck a tree after it landed in a field inside Berry Groves, a development that is under construction and about two miles from the airport.

The pilot and his wife walked away without injuries.

It’s still unclear what caused his Piper PA 18 aircraft to quit mid-air.

“I can’t imagine a plane dropping from the sky, just like that,” said Ed Wachuku, who lives near the scene along Berry Avenue between SW Martin Highway and SW Sunset Trail.

Neighbors like Ed Wachuku say they are stunned to see a sight like this, so close to home and near a middle and an elementary school.

“I believe in miracles,” he said. “That’s what happened. It could’ve been worse.”

The FAA is still investigating.

The pilot, who declined to share his name, and his wife were not taken to a hospital.

FAA investigator is at scene. They tell @CBS12 the Piper PA 18 aircraft was on approach to land at Whitman Field in Stuart when it reportedly lost power about 3:50 p.m. The aircraft struck a tree here, about two miles from the airport.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2019, 08:38:03 AM by kb4tez »