Pilot sent his wife a final message as the plane engine failed — 'we’re not going to make it,' he said before crash-landing on a busy Georgia road
Two men faced a terrifying moment in the sky when their small plane began to fail over Gainesville, Georgia, during a busy weekday. The aircraft, flown by Thomas Rogers with a student pilot beside him, had just taken off when the engine started losing power. With little time to decide, Rogers tried to turn back but quickly saw the runway was too far away. In a desperate radio call, he told loved ones they were not going to make it. The incident unfolded on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the intersection of Browns Bridge Road and Pearl Nix Parkway. As later reported by PEOPLE, the plane came down in the middle of heavy traffic.
The single-engine plane had departed from Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport and was heading toward Cherokee County when the trouble began shortly after takeoff. Rogers told Fox 5 Atlanta, “We lost our engine taking off out of Gainesville and realized, tried to glide back, did everything by the book, but realized we weren't going to make it back with how far out we were, so we came down the road.” Air traffic control recordings captured his urgent plea, “Mayday! We’re not going to make it. Please, tell my wife, Molly, I love her and my parents. I love them so much.” Around 12:06 p.m., during the lunch hour rush, he guided the powerless aircraft toward the wide roadway below, believing it offered the best chance to avoid buildings and large structures, as per WSB-TV.
Videos from nearby businesses and witnesses showed the plane descending quickly before scraping along the asphalt. Drivers tried to move out of the way as the aircraft skidded forward and slammed into cars. One fuel tank broke loose and landed in the back of an SUV. Jacob Hunt, who works in the area, described the sound as “a couple car crashes all in one boom.” Another witness, Deanna Campbell, recalled yelling, “I just told my husband, I said, ‘That’s a plane! That’s a plane!’ It really scared us” as it came down. Police later confirmed that three vehicles were struck. Capt. Kevin Holbrook commented, "The fact that this plane came down, did not strike any power poles, any power lines, and only hit three vehicles is absolutely remarkable."
Emergency crews arrived within minutes and transported both men to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Authorities identified them as an experienced pilot and a student pilot working toward additional flight hours. Holbrook said the student was flying with Rogers to gain the experience needed for future solo flights. Despite the dramatic landing and damage to vehicles, officials said the injuries were minor. Browns Bridge Road remained closed for several hours as investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board examined the scene and cleared debris. By later that day, the road reopened to traffic, according to the Gainesville Police Department, while federal authorities continued investigating the cause of the engine failure.