Bonanza Bounces Off Truck In Highway Landing

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Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot successfully landed a V-tailed Bonanza on a tractor-trailer and then a freeway near Houston after losing power, with no injuries to the pilot or truck driver.
  • The incident occurred Sunday morning on State Highway 99 while the aircraft was on a "survey" mission, shortly after departing West Houston Airport.
  • The aircraft was substantially consumed by a post-crash fire following the emergency landing.
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The pilot and lone occupant of a V-tailed Bonanza escaped injury when he set the plane down on a tractor trailer before settling onto a freeway near Houston on Sunday. The aircraft, registered to a Michigan company, had just departed West Houston Airport when it lost power and the pilot headed for northbound lanes of state highway 99.

Local authorities said the aircraft was on a “survey” mission when the accident occurred about 11:15 a.m. The aircraft was substantially consumed by the post-crash fire. The truck driver wasn’t hurt.

Russ Niles

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.
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