Pilot Emily Shelton Executes Emergency Plane Landing on Florida I-10

Twenty‑one‑year‑old flight instructor Emily Shelton was conducting a first‑lesson flight with a student when the aircraft’s oil pressure dropped and a burning oil smell was reported. Declaring an emergency, she communicated with air‑traffic control and chose to line the plane up with Interstate 10 in Pensacola, Florida, avoiding highway signs before touching down.

The maneuver was captured on a truck driver’s dash‑cam video. Both Shelton and the student walked away uninjured, and the aircraft suffered only cosmetic damage. Authorities cleared the roadway and coordinated the response, crediting Shelton’s training for the safe outcome.