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Pilot Makes Miraculous Emergency Landing on Busy Brazil Motorway
In an extraordinary incident captured on video, a pilot successfully executed an emergency landing on a packed highway in Brazil. The light aircraft was forced to descend onto the bustling BR-101 motorway amidst vehicles after experiencing engine trouble shortly after takeoff. The heart-stopping scene unfolded yesterday, triggering alarm among motorists as the small plane approached the road surface.
Incredible On-Highway Landing Avoids Major Incident
Against all odds, the skilled pilot managed to maneuver the aircraft beneath power lines and over oncoming traffic. The plane touched down safely on the asphalt, preventing what could have been a catastrophic event. Reports indicate no injuries resulted from the dramatic landing. The pilot was identified as 29-year-old Mateus Renan Calado, and his passenger was 71-year-old businessman Valdemiro Jose Minella, who is the owner of the aircraft. According to authorities, both occupants were unharmed after exiting the plane. Their journey began at an aerodrome in Guaratuba, Santa Catarina state, around midday Saturday. The single-engine Pelican 500 BR reportedly suffered engine failure while flying over the BR-101 highway near Garuva.
Dramatic Moments Captured by Onlookers
Faced with engine malfunction, the pilot was compelled to land the aircraft on the heavily trafficked motorway as emergency responders were dispatched to the location. One female motorist filming from a car behind the descending plane can be heard expressing her fear, saying words to the effect of: “It’s going to come down on the lorry, it’s going to crash.”
Eyewitness accounts suggest the pilot may have initially considered landing on a grassy area adjacent to the highway. However, the aircraft ultimately made contact with the road just ahead of a fuel tanker truck, narrowly avoiding impact with the central reservation barrier.
A vehicle immediately in front of the landing aircraft braked sharply to prevent a collision. Remarkably, the driver of this vehicle also escaped injury.
Following the successful landing, the light aircraft was moved away from the active lanes of the motorway to ensure the continued safety of traffic flow. Subsequently, personnel detached the wings of the aircraft, and it was loaded onto a transport vehicle for removal from the scene.
Investigation Launched into Aircraft Malfunction
Mr. Minella stated in an interview with NSC TV that the aircraft had undergone its most recent inspection earlier in the year. He noted that the plane had accumulated only seven hours of flight time since that maintenance check, including the brief and eventful flight on Saturday.
The scene was cleared and the motorway fully reopened to vehicles by approximately 5pm local time. The Brazilian Air Force has announced it will conduct an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the engine failure and emergency landing.
The Air Force stated: “The conclusion of this investigation will occur as promptly as possible, always depending on the complexity of the occurrence and the necessity to ascertain any potential contributing elements.”