Pilot Sends Message to Wife Before Making an Emergency Landing on Busy Road: ‘We’re Not Going to Make It’ 

Two people aboard a small aircraft escaped with minor injuries after the plane made an emergency landing on a busy roadway in Georgia earlier this week.

On Monday, Feb. 9, a single-engine plane attempted an emergency landing near an intersection on Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville, according to the Gainesville Police Department (GPD). Authorities said the aircraft collided with multiple vehicles during the incident.

Local outlets WAGA, WSB, and WXIA reported that the plane experienced engine trouble shortly after departing from Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and a student pilot at the time.

“We lost our engine taking off out of Gainesville and tried to glide back, did everything by the book, but realized we weren’t going to make it back with how far out we were, so we came down the road,” pilot Thomas Rogers told WAGA.

According to reports, Rogers initially attempted to return to the airport but lost power, leading to the emergency landing shortly after noon local time.

In air traffic control audio obtained by WXIA, Rogers could be heard expressing concern about the situation as the aircraft descended.

“We’re not going to make it,” he said. “Please tell my wife, Molly, I love her … and my parents. I love them so much.”

Witness video captured the plane descending rapidly onto the roadway before colliding with vehicles. Several drivers were seen maneuvering to avoid the aircraft.

“It really scared us,” one witness told local media. “I just told my husband, ‘That’s a plane! That’s a plane!’”

Despite the dramatic scene, authorities described the outcome as unexpectedly limited in scope.

“The aircraft only hit three vehicles,” Gainesville Police Capt. Kevin Holbrook told WAGA, calling the lack of more serious damage “absolutely remarkable.”

Both Rogers and the student pilot sustained minor injuries, police confirmed. They were transported to a hospital for treatment.

The roadway was temporarily closed while emergency crews removed the aircraft. Officials later announced that traffic in the area had resumed.