18-Year-Old-Pilot, 15-Year-Old-Brother Are Unharmed

The 18-year-old pilot of a Cessna 152 who made an emergency landing on a dirt road in rural Florida Sunday credits his training for keeping he and his brother safe.

File Photo

Pilot Juan Ortega and his brother Andres were returning from Lakeland, Florida on Sunday when the Cessna 152 they were flying experienced engine problems, and Ortega had to make a dead-stick landing on a dirt road in Hardee County near Tampa. He told television station WSVN that he attempted an engine restart, but that he had to land on the road. 

Before he could land, the plane had to clear a powerline which was at about 100 feet AGL before touching down. Juan, who started flying at 15, said his training took over when the engine stopped. He said all flight instruction includes 'engine failure training,' and that hew was simply doing what he was taught.

Juan said he considered the incident a learning experience. That it certainly was. Many pilots fly their entire career without having to put that 'engine failure training' to practical use. While he told the station that he would continue to fly, his brother was not as sure about getting back in an airplane.

We hope he does. And kudos to the young pilot who kept his cool and turned what might have been a tragedy into a "learning experience."

Well done.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov