Vintage Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing On US 27 After Engine Stalls

WEST BROWARD (CBS4) - The crew of a vintage cargo plane practicing what to do in the event of an in-flight emergency, found themselves in the middle of one when the 1959 Beechcraft 18 lost both engines during a test flight Tuesday evening.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the instructor and his student pilot were forced to bring the plane down on an isolated part of US 27 about 5 miles north of I-75.

No one was hurt.

CBS4 Photojournalist Kyle Hall was told Stuart Hanley of Hollywood and Ronald Russell of Auburn, Maine were practicing what to do in the event of an engine stall.

The instructor killed one of the engines as part of the test, but, for whatever reason, the second engine quit and wouldn't restart.

That forced the crew to put their training to the test.

Since there was no way the plane could make it back to Executive Airport on its own power, Hanley and Russell made an emergency landing on the highway.

Late Tuesday, the plane was moved from the roadway to a nearby boat ramp.

The FAA will make a report on the incident and Aztec Airways will decide later Wednesday on how best to get the plane back to its base at Executive Airport.