The pilot of a small plane made an emergency landing Monday afternoon in an open lot, just missing several homes in Tidewater Preserve, a neighborhood in East Bradenton along the Manatee River.
Amazingly, no one was hurt including the pilot. He walked away with no injuries and refused medical treatment.
The 92-year-old WWII veteran, identified as Balazs Martin Orban, was a bomber pilot. He walked away unharmed.
"He got out of the plane himself and walked over to the road and denied all sorts of medical assistance, and he seems to be fine,” said Captain William Fowler, Bradenton Police.
Don Kissee, who lives in Ellenton along the river was outside fishing, and noticed the plane flying right above him. He took out his camera to catch what was going on.
"So I watched it fly right past me, and the engine stopped and I was thinking it was training and they start and stop it only it didn't start again,” he said.
Kissee said he knew the pilot was in trouble and thought he was going to land in the river.
"From my perspective it looked like it was going in the water landing instead he landed on the other side of the houses and when he landed on the other side of the houses and did not come back up I knew he had gone down,” he said.
Kessee called 911 thinking the worst. However, the pilot was able to land the plane safely.
This could have been a different story if this happened a few months from now. The lot the plane landed on is going to be built on soon as well as the other lots nearby.
The FAA is now on the scene handling the investigation. No word when the plane will be removed.