Orlando pilot runs out of fuel and makes emergency landing in traffic intersection

The plane missed traffic and landed in a residential driveway. Photo / Twitter, @FHPOrlando

A US pilot walked away with nothing but bruises after his plane ran out of fuel and crashed in a Florida traffic intersection.

On Friday afternoon, the small single-engine Cessna 182 crash landed on University Boulevard in Orlando, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

A bystander filmed the landing from their car as they drove through the intersection. In the video, the plane hits the ground and slides into the fence of a residential home.

The pilot was the only person on board and sustained no injuries other than bruising.

Incredibly, Orange County Fire Rescue reported that no other people were harmed.

https://t.co/mRGUTnkvVI pic.twitter.com/w6MT4WZnQz

— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) August 19, 2022

As for the cause of the crash, the Florida Highway Patrol claimed it was due to mechanical failure while the 40-year-old pilot Remy Colin told ABC News he ran out of fuel.

The journey was intended to be a short test flight but Colin said he became distracted by an issue with the plane's radio and didn't see the fuel level become critically low.

Eventually, the plane ran out of fuel while in the air and consequentially lost power.

Without anywhere suitable to land, Colin said he made the call to "sacrifice the plane" and tried to make sure no people were injured.

Aside from some bruising, the pilot walked away from the crash without injury.

Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the circumstances around the crash.

The busy thoroughfare was blocked for several hours as authorities worked to clear the debris from the crash.

Drivers were warned to use caution and choose an alternate route to avoid the area. By 9.12pm that evening, the road was reopened.

The Cessna 182 Skylane is a four-seat, single-engined light aeroplane. Purchased new, it costs approximately US$361,000.