Watch CBS News

Pilot Makes "Picture Perfect" Emergency Landing At Perry Airport

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) - For a pilot, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

One pilot found that out first hand Thursday morning at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines and it's being called a "picture perfect" emergency landing.

The plane, a four-seat single-engine Piper PA-28, operating out of Wayman Flight Training at North Perry Airport was occupied by a senior flight instructor, and a commercial rated senior student receiving lessons to become a flight instructor.

After being unable to get its nose gear down, the plane circled the airport burning off fuel before making a landing without the nose gear down.

The senior instructor flew the plane onto runway 10 left, gently easing the nose of the plane onto the runway, and to a stop.

The senior student, in the co-pilot's seat, immediately opened the door and helped his instructor out of the plane, and both men scurried away in the event a fire might erupt.  It did not.

The flight instructor, safely away from the aircraft, dropped to his knees and kissed the ground.

Eddy Luy, Vice President of Wayman Flight Training said the instructor did a "perfect" job of landing the plane softly and safely.

"His years of experience, and exceptional skills kicked in, and he did a fantastic job of executing an emergency landing," Luy said.  He declined to name the flight instructor or senior student.

The same plane was involved in a forced landing on July 12 last year when on a training mission with a student the aircraft lost power and was forced to land on a levy in the Everglades not far from the airport. In that forced landing the plane sustained considerable damage, but no one was injured.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.