Pilot details what happened before crashing onto Orlando road
A pilot said he suffered some bruises but no other injuries after his small plane ran out of fuel and crash-landed at a busy Florida intersection.
The incident occurred in Orlando shortly before 4 p.m. Friday, when the single-engine Cessna 182 made an emergency landing on University Boulevard at North Econlockhatchee Trail, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The emergency landing was caught on camera by a bystander who was a passenger on a car driving on the thoroughfare. The plane flew past cars before it crash-landed and slid into a fence, blocking the driveway of a home.
Debris was on the roadway and authorities urged people to avoid the area for several hours before the road reopened. The pilot was the only person on board. No other injuries were reported, Orange County Fire Rescue said.
The plane suffered a mechanical failure, forcing the pilot to make a crash landing, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, ABC Orlando affiliate WFTV reported.
The pilot, 40-year-old Remy Colin, told ABC News he ran out of fuel during what was meant to be a short test flight for the plane following its annual checkup.
Colin said he had been distracted by fixing the plane's faulty radio and failed to re-check his fuel level. The plane ran out of fuel mid-air and lost power.
Colin said he did not see any other place where he could land, so he decided to "sacrifice the plane" and did his best not to injure anyone.
He said he suffered bruising, but was otherwise uninjured.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
