18-year-old pilot makes emergency landing with crying grandmother, cousins on board

(Image credit: BrockPeters/Instagram)

An 18-year-old pilot in the US, who took his family on a small flight as a holiday gift, had to make an emergency landing after his plane's engine malfunctioned, The Guardian reported.

Brock Peters, who was flying across southern California with his grandmother and two cousins earlier this week, heard a boom sound from his engine, and soon, totally lost engine power.

As his rented aircraft began descending, the occupants panicked. His grandmother was crying but Peters said he had to tune out her voice so he could focus on how to land them all safely.

Below, he saw fields but couldn't land there because of trees and rocks.

“If I land there, we’re going to get serious injuries, and the plane is going to be completely destroyed,” he remembered thinking.

His safest bet was to land on a quiet stretch of Route 66. But he had to do it cautiously, avoiding a hill and a curve in the road, The Guardian reported.

Two cars seemed to be approaching the stretch but they soon moved out of Peters' way.

Another challenge was a net of wires on the highway, but the young pilot said he miraculously managed to avert them.

“Honestly, I didn’t see them. I think that was divine intervention, moving those wires away from me," he told The Guardian.

Peters, who got his flying license in September, told CBS he would take a few days to process the incident and then return to the cockpit. He has been passionate about flying since grade school.