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‘I knew I was going down’: 19-year-old pilot makes emergency landing on busy Florida road. Watch video
The pilot and a passenger had to land the small single-engine aircraft after it lost power just minutes into the flight.
The pilot said the incident will not discourage him from pursuing a career in aviation (Image source: @ABC/X)
A 19-year-old pilot had to make an emergency landing after experiencing engine trouble shortly after takeoff in Jupiter, Florida. According to ABC 25, the incident unfolded on Indiantown Road near Pennock Lane.
The pilot, Niko Bray, and a passenger were forced to bring the small single-engine aircraft down after it lost power just minutes into the flight. “I knew I was only about 500 feet off the ground, so I knew I was going down for sure,” CBS quoted Bray as saying.
Detailing the incident, Bray said he initially considered landing on A1A, but the roadway was too narrow to attempt a safe landing. Instead, he turned west toward Indiantown Road. With assistance from a truck driver who stopped traffic and cleared a path, he successfully landed the plane.
According to flight tracking data from FlightAware, the plane departed from Tailwinds Homeowners’ Association and remained airborne for less than 17 minutes before the emergency landing.
Watch here:
A 19-year-old pilot made an emergency landing in the middle of a busy road in Jupiter, Florida, after the plane he was flying lost power. https://t.co/gwAjDFHDB3 pic.twitter.com/ATIpyztSyz
— ABC News (@ABC) March 10, 2026
The video quickly gained traction, drawing a wave of reactions. “Dude didn’t want to break. He was like… let me stop at Walmart while Im at it,” a user wrote. “The emergency landing was successful and caused no harm, which is truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune,” another user commented.
“I enjoy the cars riding up right behind him like he’s waiting for the intersection light to turn green,” a third user reacted.
Despite the frightening experience, Bray said it will not discourage him from pursuing a career in aviation. He added that becoming a pilot has been his goal since childhood. According to ABC 25, he obtained his commercial pilot license about a year ago, and had flown the aircraft many times without incident.
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