WATCH: Pilot Flying Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Highway Amid Running Cars | Viral Video
The aspiring commercial pilot, a former US Marine, landed the single-engine aircraft on a four-lane road without touching the cars and power lines while touching down.
An aspiring commercial pilot just showed he may be fit for the profession after he landed like an expert a single-engine aircraft on a four-lane road, without touching cars and power lines on the way. A video of the feat is being widely shared on social media.
According to a report by news agency Associated Press, Vincent Fraser, the man from Florida, showed his skills in an emergency situation when he managed an incident-free touchdown on the North Carolina road on July 3.
The emergency landing had to be done when the aircraft Fraser was flying started to lose engine power, the AP report said, adding that the pilot’s father-in-law also was aboard as they an aerial view of a piece of land the former had purchased near a lake.
“There was nowhere to land…I think I told him I loved him and that I was sorry for putting him in the situation,” Fraser told AP.
He said his father-in-law told him to do the best he could.
“And from there on, I was just like, ’Game on. Let’s get down alive,” Fraser added.
He wanted to land in a river but when the highway appeared below he took that chance.
A GoPro camera in the cockpit of the plane recorded the entire landing effort. The video was later posted on Facebook by the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, which showed how the plane sailed over cars before landing on the road, with oncoming traffic pulling off to the shoulder to avoid colliding into the big bird.
"What an OUTSTANDING job and no injuries. AMAZING If you look closely at 0:20 you will see the power lines the pilot was able to avoid," Sheriff Curtis Cochran said in the Facebook post, adding: "There were so many things that could have been catastrophic but they didn't happen."
According to the AP report, Fraser is a former US Marine who currently works as a flight attendant. He told AP he had started to have second thoughts about his ambition to become a commercial pilot but this successful landing has boosted his morale. He said he had family and community support also towards fulfilling his dream.
“Now I know that I can do it and I can make it out alive and safe,” Fraser was quoted as saying.
Take a look at the video:
A pilot narrowly missed cars and power lines after he landed a single-engine plane on a North Carolina highway.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 13, 2022
Vincent Fraser was flying the plane July 3 when the aircraft began to lose engine power as he was checking out land he had purchased near a lake. pic.twitter.com/4jFhmBcpGm
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