Hero Teen Pilot Makes Dramatic Emergency Landing On Highway After Engine Fails At 5,500 Ft

A small plane carrying an 18-year-old pilot's grandmother and two cousins had to make an emergency landing on a two-lane highway due to an engine failure. On Monday, December 2, Brock Peters, a heroic pilot with only four months of experience, was flying his family over San Bernardino for breakfast when he made a daring landing on El Cajon Boulevard.

At about 5,500 feet, the Piper PA-28 he was flying lost power, requiring him to concentrate on making a safe landing on the historic Route 66 while his grandmother's panicked screams could be heard from the back of the cockpit.

"I can hear my grandma crying in the back," he said to CBS News LA. "I'm like "I've got to tune her out, focus on what I need to do and get this plane down safely and make sure everybody is OK."'

No one was hurt during the landing, which happened shortly before 10 am on January 2 while Peters was flying from Riverside Airport to Apple Valley Airport. "We're coming through the pass and I hear a boom," Peters said. "I lose all engine power."

He tried to restart the engine but couldn't, so he started looking for a place to land. "From the air, the field right in front of me looks flat," he stated. "But once you get lower, it's trees, rocks, everything - just going to tear the plane up," as reported by CBLA.

(@brockpeters1/Instagram

The brave pilot decided that his best option was to land on the road, but not before he had to maneuver the plane through power lines. He told DailyMail that he wasn't very concerned about traffic despite the fact that there were only two lanes on the route.

"I had one car in front of me going the same direction but they were 150 feet in front of me so no factor and one car coming at me but they pulled over and I landed," he stated. 

After the landing, Martha Quiroga, Peters' grandma, reportedly continued to cry and shout. The teenager, a student at Victor Valley Community College who is also looking forward to the start of his Mormon mission, claimed that his faith helped him deal with the tough circumstances.

"I knew I was going to land it," he told. "I knew I was going to. But to not hit anything that's God's intervention right there." He had to call his mother to let her know what had happened since he couldn't use his radio in the Cajon Pass. She and his father soon arrived, and the California Highway Patrol was there to provide aid.

(@brockpeters1/Instagram

Flying teacher Peter commended his student for the brave landing in a post on Instagram Story. "My student is one hell of a pilot!" penned David Andrews. "He handled that emergency landing with poise and got everyone home safe." "PS next time you plan on landing on Route 66, don't forget to invite me," he quipped.

The courageous teen expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported him on social media. "Glad everything ended the way it did," penned Peters. "Nobody was injured and the plane was completely intact. Thanks to everyone who helped and showed up."

@brockpeters1/Instagram