Florida, United States: A small twin-engine aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on the southbound side of Interstate 95 in Brevard County on Monday evening, striking a car in traffic as it descended.
The plane identified as a multi-engine Beechcraft 55 came down near mile marker 201 in Cocoa at approximately 5:45 p.m., according to local authorities. The aircraft collided with a 2023 Toyota Camry being driven southbound, causing the car to be crushed against the median and scattering debris across multiple lanes.
The Camry’s driver, a 57-year-old woman, was transported to Viera Hospital with what were described as minor injuries. Both the 27-year-old pilot and a 27-year-old passenger aboard the aircraft escaped without injury.
Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene. One bystander, who captured dash-cam footage of the crash, said the plane appeared to “drop out of the sky” and impact the rear of the car before sliding to a halt. Others at the scene including two nurses among passing motorists rushed to assist the driver.
Authorities including the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched an investigation, with support from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Preliminary findings indicate the aircraft lost power in both engines before the emergency landing.
There are no reports of fuel leaks, and traffic on the interstate which had been blocked in both directions for several hours was restored by around 9 p.m. local time.
Officials have appealed to anyone with video footage or additional information to contact the NTSB, as investigators continue their probe into what caused the dual-engine failure.
This was the second small-aircraft emergency reported in Florida on December 8. Earlier that afternoon, a Cessna 172 made an emergency landing on Jacobs Road in DeLand, about 46 miles north of Orlando. The single-engine plane came down around 2 p.m., according to reports from Fox 13 News. No major injuries were reported in that incident.
