Airport officials were surprised to find an abandoned aircraft “resting nose-down in the grass near a runway” this week. The pilot of the damaged 1972 Cessna Skyhawk was missing, and it was evident that the plane had veered off the runway following a rough landing on Tuesday.
The unoccupied Cessna N20392 was discovered at around 5 am at Naples Municipal Airport in Florida, during a period when the airport’s traffic control tower was closed from 10 pm to 6 am.
As personnel tried to unravel the mystery, more questions arose when security staff reported observing two individuals exiting the aircraft at the airport shortly after it landed in the middle of a grassy field, apparently unharmed.
Robin King, the airport communications director, stated to FOX4, “We arrived at about five o’clock this morning and noticed we had an aircraft in the middle of the field. Our security released two individuals from the airfield overnight. They were unharmed, walked away, and that’s the extent of our knowledge.”
FlightAware data revealed that the plane circled over Fort Myers and Naples several times before landing at Naples Airport in Florida just after 2:40 am. The airport had to close a runway after the unexpected discovery, but regular operations resumed once the disabled plane was cleared from the field by around 6:30 am.
In a separate interview with WINK News, King described the situation as “unusual” and “a mystery.” The pilot, identified as 24-year-old Brianna Brown, returned later in the day after the plane had been removed for inspection. Brown has since spoken with the Naples Police Department and airport operations personnel.
According to Lt. Bryan McGinn of the Naples Police Department, the pilot stated that they slid off the runway and informed the staff about the incident.
It appears that Brown rented the aircraft and flew it from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The police have filed a report, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified for investigation.
Brown, from Fort Lauderdale, was unharmed and is cooperating with the investigation. It is currently unknown if Brown or the other individual on board, who remains unidentified, will face any charges.
