North Fort Myers – A small, single‑engine plane touched down on Bayshore Road on Saturday afternoon, clipping a pickup truck as it rolled onto the pavement. The unexpected landing startled drivers but, thanks to quick action by local law‑enforcement and the pilots, no one was injured.
What happened
Brian Adams, a Lee County resident, was driving his blue Nissan when he saw the aircraft descending low over the road. “My first thought is, ‘boy, that’s flying really low,’” Adams recalled. “Then almost immediately you go, ‘oh no, it’s about to land right in front of me.’”
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the plane’s two occupants – identified as Eric Santana and Armando Gomez – were unharmed. The truck’s driver, Juan Torres, also escaped injury despite his vehicle being struck by the aircraft’s wing.
Adams said he spoke with Torres moments after the landing. “I talked to the guy in the truck real quick,” he said. “He asked me how I was doing. I go, ‘I’m not the one that was hit by a plane.’”
Who was in the cockpit
The aircraft’s owner was not on board. The sheriff’s office confirmed that a flight instructor was at the controls when the plane made the emergency touchdown. The same plane had previously executed an emergency landing on U.S. 98 in August, after which Santana and Gomez returned to Fort Myers from Sebring.
Community response
Local residents expressed relief that everyone involved walked away safely. “I am definitely going to stick with commercial aircraft myself if I’m traveling,” Adams said, reflecting the sentiment of many onlookers.
The incident comes as another aviation emergency unfolded nearby on Sunday. A separate plane crashed in Estero Bay, forcing pilot Curt Hosterman to bail out into the mangroves. Lee County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit rescued him after his engine shut down twice on the flight from Page Field.
Safety reminder
While such events are rare, they underscore the importance of vigilance on Florida’s busy roadways and the professionalism of local first‑responders. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office praised the calm cooperation of all parties involved and reminded drivers to stay alert for unexpected hazards.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the Bayshore Road landing. No further traffic disruptions were reported, and the road reopened shortly after the incident.
Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.
