Overview
- The flight instructor and a student reported falling oil pressure, a burning oil smell and that they were losing engine power before deciding to land on Interstate 10 on Monday morning.
- Dashcam video recorded by a truck driver shows the single-engine PA-28 gliding under a highway sign and touching down in empty lanes while the pilot steered to avoid traffic.
- Both people on board and motorists on the highway were uninjured and local crews pushed the aircraft off the roadway after the occupants exited safely.
- Florida Highway Patrol and Escambia County first responders secured the scene and the FAA has opened a formal investigation into the incident and its probable engine-related cause.
- The PA-28 is a common training aircraft and a sudden drop in oil pressure with cockpit fumes is a classic sign of imminent engine failure that can force pilots to make off-airport landings.