COCOA, Fla. – A Cessna 172 Skyhawk made an emergency landing Sunday on a landfill access road at the Central Disposal Facility in Cocoa.
The pilot, Merritt Island dentist Tim Morris, and two passengers, a man and a boy, escaped injury.
The trio were flying from Kissimmee to Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville when the engine malfunctioned at about 4,000 feet, Local 6 News partner Florida Today.
Morris, who has been a pilot for three years, said the touchdown was "a perfect landing."
Florida Highway Patrol troopers closed the landfill gates at 1:10 p.m. Morris said he will either hire a mechanic to fix the engine or transport the plane via trailer.