A terrifying scene unfolded on a busy stretch of I95 in Cocoa Beach, Florida, when a small plane attempting an emergency landing crashed directly into a moving car. Dashcam video captured the moment the twin-engine aircraft descended toward southbound traffic on Monday evening and clipped the rear of a 2023 Toyota Camry, sending sparks and smoke across the highway.
The incident occurred around 5:45 p.m. local time. Authorities say the 57-year-old woman driving the Camry suffered minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. The pilot, a 27-year-old man from Orlando, and his 27-year-old passenger from Temple Terrace were not injured and remained on scene during early investigations. None of the individuals involved have been publicly identified.
Witnesses described the moment as surreal and dangerously close to tragedy. Jim Coffey, traveling with his son Peter, told Spectrum News 13 that the aircraft appeared to “drop out of the sky” directly in front of them. Peter recalled thinking the plane might swerve clear of the car before its landing gear struck the Camry. The impact crumpled the vehicle but did not cause it to roll, something the Coffeys say likely prevented serious injury or death. “We could have died,” Peter later told Fox 35 Orlando. “That could have gone a lot worse.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is now reviewing the emergency landing, while the Florida Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation. Early information from the aircraft’s owners indicates no jet fuel leaked onto the roadway, avoiding an additional hazard for first responders and drivers.
The video has since gone viral, sparking renewed debate over emergency landing protocols and the risks posed when aircraft lose power over congested urban corridors. For drivers on I95 Monday evening, the danger was far more immediate. As Jim Coffey put it, the full weight of how narrowly disaster was avoided “hit a day later,” along with relief that the outcome was not far worse.
