Both an aircraft and a vehicle received damage, but fortunately there were no injuries after a pilot made an emergency landing shortly after 2:00 Thursday afternoon next to U.S. Highway 59 near Shepherd.
The incident involved a 1990 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, registered to KJK Enterprises, LLC in Houston, and was carrying the pilot and two passengers. Online aviation records show that the plane departed the Jennings, Louisiana Municipal Airport and was bound for the Kimble County Airport in Junction, Texas.
A preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration says that the plane experienced an “…inflight loss of engine power over San Jacinto County near Shepard, Texas.”
The Montgomery County Police Reporter is reporting that the aircraft was at 6,000 feet when it lost power. The pilot was going to try to land at the nearby Cleveland airport, but once breaking below the overcast cloud layer realized that was not an option.
Trying to land on Highway 59, the report said that the aircraft came down on top of an SUV occupied only by the driver. The plane then came down hard on the pavement which sent it veering off of the highway and sheered off the nose gear.
The names of the pilot, passengers, or SUV driver have not been released.