A heroic flight instructor in Florida saves lives with an incredible landing on a highway. The small plane’s engine stopped working mid-flight, and the 21-year-old did what she had to do. It was a near-death experience that, fortunately, turned out well.
The 21-year-old, Emily Shelton, had been teaching a student when she smelled burning oil in the cockpit. She told the air traffic controller, “We would like to go ahead and declare an emergency, Warrior 41622. We’re not going to make it to the airport. We are going down on 1-10.”
Emily stayed calm under pressure and guided the plane over an overpass sign, avoiding any cars, onto the highway. If she had been off by even a few inches, there would have been injuries.
It is so impressive to watch this heroic flight instructor save lives through the maneuvering of the plane.
Response to the Incredible Landing
“I feel my training has prepared me exceptionally well for this moment,” Emily said. “I’ve practiced this exact scenario many times, just never thought I’d actually have to execute it in real life.”
A truck driver who witnessed the incident added that as soon as he saw the plane’s shadow, he let off the gas pedal. If he hadn’t, the plane might have hit him.
Emily’s loved ones created a GoFundMe for her so that she can attend flight school to become a regional pilot.
“How she landed was nothing short of miraculous, as she narrowly avoided traffic and other obstacles and managed to guide the plane to the shoulder of the road, protecting her student and motorists,” a loved one said about her in the GoFundMe. “Emily has been working as a flight instructor to build her hours while working toward becoming a pilot at a regional airline.”
It’s so cool that this heroic flight instructor saved lives at such a young age. Hopefully, she can pursue her dream of being an airline pilot.
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