On Friday at 4 p.m., a small plane came hurtling down towards University Boulevard and North Econlockhatchee Trail in Orlando.
Florida Highway Patrol reported that the aircraft crashed due to mechanical failure.
WESH 2 noted:
The pilot sustained minor injuries, FHP said. But no one else was hurt.
“We heard a big crash, kinda like a car crash, and we assumed it was a car crash. Our house is right over there and we peeped over the fence and we just see this plane sitting in the driveway,” Ben Stillman, who lives nearby, said.
Amanda Skuban and Raiah Collins said they were headed to Costco when they started filming.
“All of a sudden it started to drop, and that’s when we were like, ‘Oh my God.’ I just kind of freaked,” Skuban said.
Drivers like Cari Mason told us they noticed a low-flying plane.
“I was on the phone with my mom. I said, ‘Oh my gosh, let me hang up with you.’ And I pulled over to the side of the road,” Mason said.
WATCH:
WATCH this. Raiah Collins and her friend were driving to Costco when they saw this plane CRASH onto University Blvd in Orlando.
Everyone is okay!
No homes or cars were hit!Credit: Raiah Collins @WESH pic.twitter.com/4UZdjiOPcw
— Anika Hope (@AnikaHopeTV) August 19, 2022
“Apart from the damage incurred by the aircraft, only some landscaping and brickwork were disturbed at the crash site,” The Blaze reported.
A plane crash near University and Econ in Orlando. Pilot tells me he is ok and that he thinks he was having engine trouble. @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/IgggPg4HKO
— Spectrum News Asher Wildman (@AsherWildman13) August 19, 2022
The Blaze recalled other recent small plane crashes:
This is just the most recent in a series of small plane crashes this summer, some of which resulted in tragedy.
On August 18, three people and a dog were killed when two planes (a single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340) collided over Watsonville Municipal Airport in Santa Cruz, County, California.
Both planes had been on their final approaches to the airport when they collided approximately 200 feet in the air. One Cessna careened into an aircraft hangar off the runway and the other plane smashed into a grassy field nearby.
Although the Watsonville airport is without a traffic control tower, the pilots involved were reportedly in communication via the common traffic advisory frequency. The smaller plane reportedly did not, however, have its transponder on, which would have otherwise enabled pilots to spot the aircraft on their displays.
Multiple fatalities after mid-air plane crash at Watsonville airport. @nbcbayarea #SkyRanger over the scene. City officials say it happened as the 2 planes were trying to land around 3 pm. https://t.co/H9PGSIuP6K pic.twitter.com/DfIAQuHPdX
— Janelle Wang (@janellewang) August 18, 2022
On the same day, a silver 1951 Cessna 195 crashed onto Interstate 8 near San Diego in El Cajon, California. The plane struck Carrie Zub’s Hyundai before coming to a halt. Though Zub was not harmed in the crash, the plane’s 65-year-old pilot withstood major injuries. He is expected to survive.
Surveillance video shows when a small plane crashed in El Cajon today. The pilot was taken to the hospital for his injuries pic.twitter.com/Dl9U47m1df
— Ramon Galindo (@RamonGalindoSD) August 18, 2022
On August 11, a single-engine Piper PA-32 crash-landed east of Los Angeles in Corona. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot of the Piper reported an engine issue. The craft subsequently crashed onto the 91 Freeway. Although the plane splintered and was consumed by flames, the two occupants were able to escape uninjured.
A small plane crash lands on a highway in Corona, California near Los Angeleshttps://t.co/q7sJs6eNaL
— Coco Esteves (@psicosour) August 11, 2022
Here are additional reports of small plane crashes prior to this summer:
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