The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says fuel exhaustion led to a twin-engine Piper Navajo making an emergency landing on a road in Victoria, Texas on Wednesday.
Video footage of the incident was shared on X. The FAA’s preliminary report noted the aircraft struck two vehicles before splitting in half at a busy intersection. Victoria police provided an update Thursday, confirming that three of the four people injured on the ground were treated and released from the hospital, while a fourth individual remains in stable condition. The pilot, who was the aircraft’s sole occupant, was also treated and discharged.
Reports indicate that the pilot attempted to return to Victoria Regional Airport (VCT), where the aircraft had originally taken off, but was forced to make the emergency landing before reaching the runway. FlightAware shows the aircraft, N818BR, is registered to MARC, Inc. in Mississippi. The website notes the company is “North America’s largest provider of specialized contract aircraft and flight crews for airborne GIS, survey and surveillence projects.”
Before the emergency landing, the aircraft was flying a grid pattern over the San Antonio area for several hours.
Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are conducting an investigation to determine the full circumstances of the accident.
