JUPITER, Fla. (WSVN) — Days after a young pilot made a dangerous descent due to a midair emergency, he shared what went through his mind when he had no choice but to land on a roadway in Jupiter.
Cellphone video from drivers captured the moment 19-year-old Niko Bray made a life-saving decision for himself, his passenger and the bystanders below on Friday.
“First time in my life, I saw such a crazy thing!” said a bystander.
Bray, an experienced pilot, said he trained for moments like this.
“It can happen, happen so fast,” he said.
Bray’s plane lost power, which forced him to make a decision he hoped he’d never have to make.
“I’ve traveled down this road hundreds of times, and turning it into an airport for the day, it was not what I was expecting to do,” he said.
Reality quickly set in for the young pilot.
“It hit me, like, no, this is real, like, I actually don’t have any power to climb right now,” said Bray. “I need to, I started looking at the ground immediately, to find a spot to land and, once you’re in that position, you just execute.”
Bray had to act fast, spotting the road below where he lowered the plane and saw what could only be described by some as a guardian angel.
“He was in a truck, and he was slowing people down,” said Bray. “If you are watching this, sir, I just want to thank you for what you did.”
While he’s trained for emergencies like this as a flight instructor, Bray said, facing it in real life is a whole different ballgame.
Bray’s mother, Stella, rushed to her son’s side and that’s when, he said, the seriousness of the moment hit him.
“It’s nothing without your family, you know. Never take it for granted, you never know when the last day you get to talk to your parents or family will be, so when you get that time with them, enjoy it,” said Bray.
“So much pride, but mostly, thank god that he’s okay,” said Stella.
Bray said he plans on getting back in the air as soon as possible.
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