FAIRFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — A pilot instructor at S&S Aviation was performing a routine lesson with a student on Thursday when she experienced mechanical issues that caused her to make an emergency landing on I-77 near Winnsboro.
The single-engine Cessna 172 took off from Fairfield County Airport but began shaking mid-flight and was too far from the airport to make it back, said instructor Nicole Smith, the pilot.
She said that with her training and preparation, she was completely prepared to land the plane safely. Pilots have checklists for everything, including what to do when making an emergency landing.
"It’s like let’s go through the checklist, let’s run through the items let’s land let’s get down," Smith said. "I think for me it was mitigating as much liability as possible. Trying to keep the plane safe. I think I knew if I kept the plane safe I’d keep the people inside of it safe.”
Smith said she is trained to look for grassy fields for an emergency landing and was headed for one when she realized she couldn't safely land there.
"We were a little too high, and the maneuver that I needed to do to in order for us to make the field, I would have ran out of field," said Smith. "so I needed to do the next best solution, which was to land on I-77."
No one inside the plane or on the highway was hurt when the plane touched down yesterday around 6:45. The landing was miraculous, said passer-by Cori Jacobs.
"When the plane first entered the interstate, from my perspective, it came over the trees sideways," said Jacobs. "Again, we would have thought it was going to crash on the coming into Columbia side but it gained control."
"Literally one of the most beautiful landings I have ever seen. I don’t even think that commercial planes land that smoothly,” Jacobs added.
Fairfield County said the plane had to be taken apart and removed from the highway. They said the investigation into the incident is ongoing, and they can't confirm what caused the engine failure.
Smith said she plans to get back out and fly again tomorrow. She is finishing up her time as a pilot instructor and plans to begin flying for an American regional jet in July.