We’ve all done it, pulling over at the last minute because we realized we forgot something or need to stop somewhere quickly. But most of us haven’t experienced the pulse-pounding interrupted trip drivers and pilots had on California’s 91 Freeway on August 9th. 

A small plane transporting a pilot and passenger crash-landed in the middle of traffic. In dashcam footage circulated on social media, the pilot can be seen weaving in and out of vehicles before dropping dramatically, bouncing off the freeway, and hitting a truck carrying three passengers before spinning away. The plane left a trail of burning fuel before coming to a rest against the sound barrier lining the freeway.

The good news is traffic was light, until the crash, that is. While California Highway Patrol Capt. Levi Miller told local television station KTLA, “(We’re) very fortunate today that the traffic was light…” After the crash, all main lanes were blocked to traffic, causing a major pileup.

Because traffic was so light, the pilot could successfully land the plane with minimal damage and no casualties.

As much as traffic jams suck, it was a best-case scenario. The single-engine plane, a Piper PA-32, experienced an unspecified engine issue. Pilot Andrew Cho was forced to set the aircraft down among traffic.

“My biggest fear was hitting other cars,” Cho told NBC Los Angeles. “I saw enough of a gap, and I just headed for the gap.” This led to what is being called a semi-successful landing, as the plane struck one vehicle, a truck carrying three passengers. Despite bursting into flames and leaving a trail of fire across the freeway, there were no injuries. All occupants of both the plane and the unfortunate truck walked away from the incident. 

The ill-fated plane took off from Corona Municipal Airport earlier in the day. As he was approaching the airport around 12:30 p.m., Cho says he lost power and had to find a last-minute makeshift runway. 

“It felt like a hard bump, hard to describe,” Cho later said in an interview with KTLA. “We were 4 to 5 feet in the air when the plane stalled completely and fell to the ground. Your training kicks in, and you do the right thing. As long as you don’t panic, you get the best outcome.”

As for the occupants of the unlucky truck, a Toyota Tundra that was struck on the tailgate, Armando Ramiz said he felt grateful he wasn’t killed. He was en route to visit family during the crash, an excuse to miss a family barbecue no one had ever used before. 

The Corona Fire Department arrived on the scene, sharing video footage of their arrival at the smoking plane and firefighters putting out the flames. 

With no injuries and merely bad traffic resulting from the crash, it seems that everyone was lucky in this incident. 

The Federal Aviation Administration is holding an investigation into the crash.