Expand / Collapse search
☰

Small plane makes emergency landing in Orange County, officials say

By
Updated  March 12, 2025 11:56pm EDT
Air and Space
FOX 35 Orlando

Small plane crashes Orange County's Wedgefield community

There were scary moments for many as a plane made an emergency landing in Orange County about half a mile from Brenda Bishop’s home. In an exclusive video, you can see one of the wings of the plane appears to be snapped. Now pointing upwards along a tree.

The Brief

    • A Cessna single-engine plane made a safe emergency landing near Newburg Street in Wedgefield, Orange County, Florida, on March 12, 2025.
    • No injuries were reported, and authorities confirmed no road closures or traffic disruptions in the area.
    • The plane is registered to Orlando-based GPI Geospatial Inc.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A small plane made an emergency landing in the Wedgefield area of Orange County on Wednesday afternoon.

Residents describe chaotic scene to FOX 35

What we know:

A Cessna TU206G plane made an emergency landing in Orange County after experiencing engine failure shortly after takeoff. The pilot managed to land the aircraft along a canal between two neighborhoods near the Hal Scott Nature Preserve. 

Small plane makes crash landing in Orange County

A small plane made an emergency landing in the Wedgefield area of East Orange County on Wednesday.

Nearby residents witnessed emergency responders arriving at the scene, with one wing of the plane visibly snapped and tangled in a tree. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lists the plane as registered to GPI Geospatial, a company based at Orlando Executive Airport. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.

What we don't know:

Investigators have yet to determine the exact cause of the engine failure. It is unclear whether mechanical issues, weather conditions, or other factors played a role in the emergency landing. GPI Geospatial, the plane’s registered owner, has not yet commented on the incident. Additionally, the condition of the pilot and any passengers remains unknown.

The backstory:

Emergency landings are rare but not unheard of, particularly with small aircraft. The area where the plane landed is near the Hal Scott Nature Preserve, which includes open land and waterways but is bordered by residential neighborhoods. Engine failure is one of the most common causes of small plane incidents, often requiring pilots to make quick decisions about landing sites to minimize damage and injury.

What they're saying:

Nearby residents described the chaotic scene as emergency crews rushed in.

"This has never happened before," said Bishop. "This is pretty unusual."

Exclusive video you can see one of the wings of the plane appears to be snapped. Now pointing upwards along a tree.

"We saw one emergency vehicle come down the back road. Well, we’ve seen that before and thought maybe a camper was in trouble or something and then another vehicle and another vehicle and then a parade of vehicles and then a helicopter," said Bishop. "So we knew something was up."

The National Transportation Safety Board says the Cessna TU206G plane had reported engine failure shortly after taking off, which forced the pilot to make an emergency landing along a canal between two neighborhoods near the Hal Scott Nature Preserve.

"There's a really small strip there and he was able to land on that small strip," said Bishop. "That's pretty amazing to me."

Other nearby residents like Christine Steele say they could see the wreckage from behind their homes."I can see a lot of different vehicles in the backyard," said Steele. "If you zoom in with binoculars, you can actually see the plane crash."

A plane making an emergency landing so close to Steele’s home has her family feeling a bit anxious about flying.

"My daughter and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas at the end of May, and she called me after hearing about this," said Steele. "She's really concerned about flying and not really wanting to go anymore."

What's next:

The FAA and NTSB will continue their investigation to determine the cause of the engine failure and assess any safety concerns. Authorities may release preliminary findings in the coming weeks, but full investigations into aviation incidents could take months.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: The information in this article comes from the Orange County Fire Rescue, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and Orange County residents.

Air and SpaceCrime and Public SafetyOrange County