CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A pilot on Thursday afternoon had to make a landing on State Road 16 near State Road 21, according to Clay County Fire Rescue — not far from Camp Blanding.
Fire Rescue said the pilot was able to land safely and was not injured. “No hazards were reported,” it said.
The small plane was attached to the rear of a pickup truck and moved off the road to get traffic moving. Michelle Cook shared a video of the plane being towed from her Facebook page.
The pilot told News4JAX he was forced to make the landing when his single-engine plane started to lose power. He said he had taken off from an airpark just north of Craig Airport.
He said he was at an altitude of 2,200 feet when the engine seized and the propeller stopped rotating. At that point, he said, he knew he had enough airspeed and lift to safely guide the plane down.
When he couldn’t find a field, he said his only option was the highway. He avoided powerlines and vehicle traffic, and the plane was not damaged. Two airplane mechanics on the ground inspected the engine, and both told News4JAX they couldn’t find an issue.
After a couple of hours on the ground and getting a thumbs up from the mechanics, the FAA gave the pilot permission to use the highway as a runway to take off again -- with the help of law enforcement.