NEW ORLEANS — After nearly 20 years of experience flying planes, Thursday morning was the first time Howie Guidry had to use a highway as a runway.
“I just asked God to get us on the ground safely, and here we are,” said Guidry.
Caught on dashcam video, it happened on Highway 3235 near Larose in Lafourche Parish. Part of an annual certification flight, Guidry and a mechanic left the airport in Galliano just after 7 a.m. About an hour later and 2000 feet up, engine trouble caused the plane to sputter.
Landing back at the airport wasn’t an option.
“My instructor in training always told me 'Go for the biggest highway around. Land on that highway,' and that’s what I did,” said Guidry. “Honestly, there was not a doubt in my mind I was going to get on the ground safely.”
To folks on the ground, like Keith Gros, who was driving the truck for Breaux Petroleum that captured the video, this was a first in his 25 years as a truck driver.
“I didn’t’ hear anything until he came into my line of sight and then I just couldn’t believe it,” said Gros.
In watching it happen, Gros said power lines stretching across the highway caused concern.
“If you watch the video you can see right after he comes down, we go underneath some, so I was just thinking I can’t believe that he was able to do this without getting caught up in those wires,” said Gros.
“I saw the powerlines ahead of me, and the next one up was too far. I couldn’t get over it, so I went under it,” said Guidry.
Once on the ground, Guidry and the mechanic were able to push the plane off the road, without any injuries in the air or on the ground.
“I had to make fast decisions to get on the ground safely. Through my years of training, my flight instructors always told me 'Fly the plane until you get on the ground. Fly it, fly it. Don’t give up,'” said Guidry.
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