A small multi-engine aircraft crashed into rush-hour traffic on a major Florida highway Monday night after the pilot attempted an emergency landing, narrowly avoiding a mass casualty incident on the busy interstate near Orlando.
The Beechcraft 55 aircraft went down on Interstate 95 near Melbourne, smashing into a Toyota Camry sedan as the pilot tried to bring the plane down following reported engine trouble. The impact sent debris across the roadway, forcing the closure of several lanes on the route between Orlando and Cape Canaveral.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) confirmed that the Camry, driven by a 57-year-old woman, was clipped by the descending aircraft.
Despite the sedan being crushed against the median barrier, as seen in photos from the scene, the driver was transported to Viera Hospital with what troopers described as minor injuries.
The wreckage of the Beechcraft 55 was left sprawled across multiple lanes on the southbound side of I-95. Remarkably, the 27-year-old pilot and a 27-year-old passenger walked away from the scene without any injuries and declined medical transport.
Authorities said the incident triggered long traffic delays in both directions as crews worked to secure the area and remove the extensive wreckage, including pieces of the plane scattered on the road and one of its wheels resting on the concrete median. Both sides of I-95 were closed for hours Monday evening.
The FHP stated that the pilot was attempting an emergency landing but has not disclosed what specific mechanical or operational failure caused the sudden descent.
“What caused the plane to crash land on the highway remains a mystery,” officials noted.
The FAA will investigate the incident and conduct a full review of what led the plane to drop onto the interstate during the height of evening traffic.
Monday’s crash marked the second aviation emergency in Central Florida that day. Earlier, around 2 p.m., another small plane made an unexpected landing on a roadway in DeLand near DeLand High School.
Officials reported that two people aboard that aircraft were injured and taken to a hospital.
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