Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing on I-95 in Florida – Hits 2023 Toyota Camry, One Hospitalized

It was just another Monday on Florida's I-95 until screeching metal and the unmistakable whir of a plane engine changed everything.

At 5:45 p.m., a twin-engine Beechcraft 55 plummeted from the sky in Brevard County, attempting an emergency landing in the middle of rush hour traffic. What followed was a shocking collision with a 2023 Toyota Camry, a horrifying scene captured on dashcam and shared across social media. One woman was rushed to the hospital.

Engine Trouble Turns Highway Into Runway

The fixed-wing aircraft, suffering from engine trouble, made its desperate descent over the southbound lanes of I-95 near mile marker 201 in Cocoa. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the pilot had reported engine problems just moments before the fateful landing attempt.

But in the split second between life and disaster, the plane struck the moving Camry. Its driver, a 57-year-old woman from Melbourne, was trapped in the chaos. She was transported to Viera Hospital with minor injuries, according to officials.

Incredibly, the pilot and the passenger aboard the plane were not hurt. Authorities identified them as two men, both 27 years old, from Orlando and Temple Terrace. Both remained at the scene after the crash.

Caught on Camera: The Moment of Impact

A video shared online captures the jaw-dropping moment where the Beechcraft is seen swooping down while the traffic continued to move forward. The aircraft appears to land directly on top of the Camry before skidding forward and coming to a stop on the roadway.

"It was so bad that it was the only place that she could have survived," Pastor Bernard Wigley, who witnessed the aftermath, said. "If she had other passengers, they would've all been smashed."

Bernard's wife, Annie Wigley, a trained nurse, immediately stepped in to help the injured driver. She rushed to the woman's aid, describing the driver as disoriented and unaware of the aircraft just feet in front of her.

"She was dazed at first," Annie said. "She didn't even notice the airplane that was right in front of the car, what hit her. She thought a semi-truck hit her."

Pastor Bernard stressed how close the incident came to becoming a full-scale tragedy. "Just a few seconds earlier or later with that airplane, it could've been a major, major catastrophe."

A Family's Dashcam Tells the Story

The crash was captured on a dash camera video recorded by James Coffey, who was driving on I-95 with his son, Peter Coffey, at the time. Their dashcam video now serves as chilling proof of the terrifying chain of events.

"It was such a surprise as we realized there was a plane in front of us," James said. "What do you think? What do you do? I had no idea that was coming. And then to see it just dropping out of the sky, thinking and hoping it was gonna pull up, and then, is it gonna land? What's gonna happen? And then to see it just drop on top of that car was scary. It was pretty scary."

Peter, still processing the trauma, added, "It took like a fat minute for my brain to register like what had just happened. It really just felt unreal."

Debris Rains Down

James described the instant chaos that followed: flying debris, shattered metal, and a sickening spray of sparks lighting up the interstate.

"So, when you heard my words, I couldn't believe what I was seeing," he said. "And then when you see the impact, and you see sparks flying, and debris starts to fly all over the highway, for half a second, I didn't change lanes. And then realized my car is getting hit with debris from this thing, I'm gonna lose a tire, or something's gonna happen. I gotta get out of the way and preserve us."

Peter said fear gripped him the moment he saw chunks of aircraft headed their way. "My brain was frozen. Like I saw it start to break apart and come at us, and I was like, wow, I really hope like bigger pieces don't start falling off and start hitting us."

Luckily, they escaped damage. "Thankfully, no big pieces broke off … at the end of the day, we got to safety, so it was good," Peter stated.

Later, James reviewed the footage and spotted something chilling. There was a liquid oxygen tanker in the lane next to them. "Had the plane struck that truck, things could've been catastrophic," he said. "We did have plenty of clear space in front of us."

Investigators Swarm the Scene

Troopers confirmed the Camry was in the inside southbound lane when the aircraft struck it. The inside and center lanes were temporarily blocked, but traffic has since resumed.

Brevard County Fire Rescue and aviation officials responded alongside the Florida Highway Patrol, who will investigate the vehicle crash. The FAA will lead the investigation.

Officials noted that the crash marked the second plane incident in Central Florida that day. Earlier on Monday, a Cessna 172 crash-landed on Jacobs Road in DeLand, injuring two people onboard.

The Beechcraft 55 is owned by Tailwinds Flying, based in Merritt Island. Despite the dramatic footage, the rush hour crowd, and a plane dropping from the sky, no lives were lost. The hospitalized driver is expected to recover, and the pilot and passenger walked away unharmed.

The emergency landing on I-95 highlights how quickly routine travel can turn dangerous and how timing, positioning, and quick responses helped prevent a far more devastating outcome on one of Florida's busiest highways.