It's not a good idea to land a plane on a road

@JudyEv (382357)
Rockingham, Australia
December 14, 2025 8:14pm CST
MyLotter and friend @MarieCoyle wrote about an aeroplane that landed on a car, luckily without any fatalities. Something a bit similar happened to my husband, Vince in the 1980s when we were partners in a farm machinery business in a rather remote country town. When a customer bought a new harvester, they could not take delivery until the finance papers had been signed. Posting papers back and forth to Perth could take a week or more and farmers always needed their new machines the next day or preferably yesterday (that’s a joke!) A finance company employee would pick up Vince and they’d fly out to a farm, get the papers signed and fly home again. On one occasion, Vin and the pilot were having trouble finding the right farm and a suitable place to land and the pilot decided to land on a country road in front of the farm. Just as the plane was about to touch down, a car came over the hill ahead of them and they were forced to take off again. In their defence, it was very isolated country back then with very little traffic on the roads. The photo is of a friend with his ultralight plane.
12 people like this
10 responses
DE
@DaddyEvil (174590)
• United States
15 Dec
Sometimes, when there is engine trouble, it can't be helped. It has happened twice in 2025 here. I'm glad they were able to take off and avoid a crash.
3 people like this
DE
@DaddyEvil (174590)
• United States
15 Dec
@JudyEv We've had small planes land on the highway here when their engines stopped working.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Dec
Parts of the Eyre Highway are marked as emergency landing strips for the Royal Flying Doctor plane if it's needed.
1 person likes this
George B Vieto
@Deepizzaguy (122268)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
15 Dec
I am in agreement with you that airplanes should ever attempt to land on a highway/
3 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Dec
It would be frightening to see a plane heading toward your car.
1 person likes this
George B Vieto
@Deepizzaguy (122268)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
15 Dec
@JudyEv I would be very scared if I saw an airplane fly near me.
1 person likes this
Judy Story
@jstory07 (148764)
• Roseburg, Oregon
15 Dec
Did they go back and land after the car went by.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Dec
They decided to take their chance in a very rough paddock.
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Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (59274)
•
15 Dec
@JudyEv At least they arrived back home again. That would have been very scary!
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502653)
• Italy
15 Dec
In an emergency, the pilot often has no choices but to try to land where it seems the safest place to land. I am glad that Vince and the pilot could take off again.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502653)
• Italy
16 Dec
@JudyEv - I am sure they did. I do not fear flying, but I am very uncomfortable inside a very small plane.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Dec
@LadyDuck Yes, I much prefer big planes. I tend to get air-sick in small planes and I can't read if I'm in a car or bus either.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Dec
They had a couple of 'interesting' experiences in that small plane.
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Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (135910)
• Marion, Ohio
15 Dec
Roads are good if they are empty
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Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (135910)
• Marion, Ohio
16 Dec
@JudyEv I am sure he did think so.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Dec
They probably thought they were safe way out there in the sticks. The poor car driver probably thought she was safe too!
1 person likes this
Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (59274)
•
15 Dec
That would have been so scary!!! A few seconds could have played out a very tragic situation. The pilot must have really been on the ball!
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Dec
I think there was a long stretch of road with good vision but still - not a good place to be.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Dec
@MarieCoyle It wouldn't suit me either.
1 person likes this
Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (59274)
•
17 Dec
@JudyEv I think learning to fly a plane would be interesting, but I also think it's a huge responsibility, especially for the pilots of the big planes. To know you have another's life in your hands is a lot, but to know that you are basically in charge of the safety of hundreds of lives is a responsibility I don't think I could ever handle.
1 person likes this
rsa101
@rsa101 (40987)
• Philippines
18 Dec
I guess roads aren’t meant for planes to land. While it might be possible in some cases, they’re not designed for that purpose, as most of their users are cars, not aircraft.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Dec
That's very true. It wasn't a good idea.
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (120997)
• United States
16 Dec
I’m very glad that didn’t end in disaster. I saw a car dash cam catch a (small) plane land on the freeway in front of him a few months ago, and wondered if the people in the plane had second thoughts about ever getting on a plane again. I probably would.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Dec
It would certainly make you think twice I reckon but it wasn't the only close shave for Vince. Maybe I'll write about the other one.
1 person likes this
snowy
@snowy22315 (209080)
• United States
15 Dec
You know what they say about the best laid plans..
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Dec
So true. Man proposes and God disposes.
Shiva
@Shiva49 (28390)
• Singapore
15 Dec
Preparing to land and then forced to take off can be quite a dicey affair. Good that they managed to do so though caught unawares by the intruding car - maybe, the plane is the culprit!
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382357)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Dec
The plane was at fault. It was never going to be a good idea.
1 person likes this