Pilot Uninjured After Clipping Top of 18-Wheeler While Making Emergency Landing on Texas Highway

Jason Duaine Hahn
·2 min read
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Pilot Survives After Plane Clips Top Of 18-Wheeler While Making Emergency Landing on Highway
Pilot Survives After Plane Clips Top Of 18-Wheeler While Making Emergency Landing on Highway

Texas Department of Public Safety - Southeast Texas Region/Twitter

A pilot survived a close call over the weekend after making an emergency landing on a busy highway in Texas.

Per the Texas Department of Safety, the single-engine airplane crashed on the northbound side of SH-99 late Sunday morning.

The aircraft clipped an 18-wheeler as it made its landing, according to NBC affiliate KPRC-TV. The plane then hit a barrier and caught fire on the highway.

Footage posted to Twitter by a witness showed a massive plume of dark smoke rising from the crash site. A photograph shared by the Department of Safety showed the small plane near the Telge Road exit of the highway with its nose facing down.

Neither the pilot nor the driver of the 18-wheeler were injured during the incident, KPRC reported, citing officials.

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"We're glad to report that he is not injured," Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson said of the pilot while speaking with reporters, according to The Houston Chronicle. "Apparently the plane lost power when he approached the roadway."

The pilot was on survey assignment at the time of the crash, per CBS affiliate KHOU.

"The pilot of a single-engine Beech M35 reported engine problems and made an emergency landing on Highway 99 near Tomball, Texas around 11:30 a.m. local time Sunday, Jan. 22," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement posted by KPRC.

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"The aircraft clipped a trailer, hit a concrete barrier and caught fire after landing," they added. "Only the pilot was on board."

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The plane's wings were wider than the roadway and caught fire when they rubbed against the highway's barriers, officials said, per CBS affiliate KHOU.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will examine the crash, according to KPRC. The NTSB will lead the investigation.