Caught on camera: Plane that made emergency landing clipped by truck on Alligator Alley

No injuries reported

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A small plane made an emergency landing Wednesday morning on Alligator Alley — only to then have one of its wings clipped by a landscaping truck driving by.

Nobody was injured.

The single-engine Mooney M20R made the emergency landing at 9:50 a.m. at Mile Marker 40 on Alligator Alley, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and officials from the city of Weston.

The landscaping truck then clipped a wing of the plane, causing it to spin into the grassy area on the side of the highway.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials responded to the scene and authorities shut down the right southbound lane.

According to Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Yanko Reyes, the pilot, identified only as a 45-year-old man, reported a mechanical issues on that plane that affected the engine.

A 60-year-old woman was also on board the plane, but she and the pilot were not injured.

Reyes said the pilot was forced to land the plane in the right emergency shoulder.

“As he had landed the airplane, a truck was passing by on the right shoulder and struck the left wing, causing the plane to spin around in a clockwise position and (it) ended up facing traffic,” Reyes said.

The driver of the landscaping truck was also not harmed in the collision, authorities said.

Records show the plane is registered to a company in Collier County. It was heading from Naples to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport when it was forced to land.

The FAA is investigating the incident.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Saira Anwer joined the Local 10 News team in July 2018. Saira is two-time Emmy-nominated reporter and comes to South Florida from Madison, Wisconsin, where she was working as a reporter and anchor.