A small training plane made an emergency landing on eastbound I-10 in Pensacola at about 10:55 a.m. on Aug. 3 after the pilot and a student reported dropping oil pressure and fumes in the cockpit. Both occupants were unhurt and exited safely. The FAA has opened an investigation; local officials say the aircraft is affiliated with Pensacola Air Flight School and has been used for training since 2022. A truck driver who filmed the landing called the safe touchdown a "miracle."
Small Training Plane Makes 'Miracle' Emergency Landing on I-10 in Pensacola; No Injuries
An airplane made an emergency landing on a highway in Pensacola, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 3.Credit: Sheriff Chip W. Simmons/Facebook
A small training aircraft made a dramatic emergency landing on eastbound I-10 in Pensacola, Florida, on Monday, Aug. 3, shortly after 10:55 a.m., narrowly avoiding vehicles and roadside signs.
What Happened
The single-engine plane was carrying only a pilot and a flight student when the crew reported rapidly dropping oil pressure and the smell of oil fumes in the cockpit. Air traffic control audio captured by LiveATC.net and reported by CNN recorded the exchange: "Our oil pressure is dropping down into the red and we do have fumes in the cockpit from the oil," followed by, "I don't know if we're going to make the airport. We are not making the airport, we're going down on I-10."
The aircraft touched down safely on the rightmost lanes of the eastbound carriageway at about 10:55 a.m. Both occupants exited the plane without injury.
Response And Investigation
Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons and local first responders quickly secured the scene and advised motorists that eastbound traffic would be slow while crews cleared the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it has opened an investigation to determine the mechanical sequence that led to the highway landing.
Local reporting identified the aircraft as affiliated with Pensacola Air Flight School; the plane has reportedly been used for student training since 2022. Photos show the aircraft stopped near the shoulder with a truck and several vehicles nearby as emergency personnel attended the site.
Eyewitness Account: Truck driver Eric Jordan, who recorded video of the landing, said he noticed the plane's shadow and slowed to avoid a collision. He described the safe touchdown as a "miracle," praising the pilot's handling of the emergency.
No injuries were reported. After officials confirmed the safety of motorists and the two people on board, crews cleared the scene. The FAA's investigation will determine the precise cause of the oil pressure loss and fumes that prompted the emergency landing.
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