FAA investigating Emergency Landing on Maui Highway

[Zambies!]

[quote]"This one was kind of a shock because I looked and out the corner all of the sudden, there was a plane super low, low low," said longtime Valley Isle resident Kevin Olson

"I saw it kind of skip on the highway."

Maui Airport manager Marvin Moniz said the plane left Kahului Airport shortly after 7 p.m. bound for Kamuela on the Big Island.

But engine problems prompted the pilot to turn around before landing the plane on the southbound lane of Piilani Highway in Kihei near Maui Meadows.

Some speeding signs were taken out but the plane didn't look damaged, said Olson, who credited the pilot for the safe landing.[/quote]
[url=http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23751582/small-aircraft-makes-emergency-landing-on-mauis-piilani-highway]Source[/url]

Jesus Christ that must have been horrifying.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK0P1Bk8Cx4[/media]

[Chryseus]

A light aircraft, I was expecting something more serious.

[Thomo_UK]

he can be my wingman anytime.

[Dacheet]

This is what that probably would've looked like (though with more tropical island and less ultralight assuming the plane)
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3MlRRM9tpA[/media]
This pretty much shows not only a textbook deadstick landing but also how quickly you have to react in a situation like this.

[Lyokanthrope]

Oh man, I wish I could've seen this. Would've been cool :v:

[paindoc]

Say what you will, but when it comes to a plane as small as this you have to make a decision [I]fast[/I].

He may not have had time to turn around, or could have risked losing too much speed or going into a tip stall had he hauled around back to the airport.

[Widgeon]

Im in the UND Aerospace program, and they tell us to land on roads instead of fields because farm fields have ridges in them that can rip the landing gear off and not go well for your face. Also this is North Dakota and there is nothing on the fucking roads here, but good job on that pilot. We have emergency flow patterns that are there just for situations like this. We memorize them for each situation and take about 5-8 seconds to complete. I would be scared shitless if this happened to me while I was flying, let alone really low like that ultralight in that video.

[DrLuke]

I once had to land in a cornfield with a glider, as I was approaching my home airport. I was very low, and there was a large group of tree between me and the airfield, and it was a split second decision to turn 180 degrees and land on that cornfield right below me in the next 30 seconds or so.
Maybe I could've passed the trees, but it was very risky and I preferred a semi-safe landing on a cornfield over the possibility to die in the trees.