Flight instructor, 21, safely lands plane on busy Florida highway after engine failed in the middle of her student's first flying lesson

A routine flying lesson took a dramatic turn when a 21-year-old flight instructor suddenly found herself dealing with an engine failure thousands of feet above Florida.

Emily Shelton was flying with a student when she noticed burning-oil fumes in the cockpit and saw the aircraft’s oil pressure dropping into the red.

With the airport no longer within reach, she had to find somewhere else to land the plane.

Her best option, as it turned out, was busy Florida highway Interstate 10.

The young flight instructor kept her cool under pressure

Shelton was flying the Piper PA-28 for Pensacola Air Flight School.

The emergency unfolded around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 3.

The aircraft was over Pensacola, Florida, when Shelton reported the oil pressure problem.

She told air traffic controllers that the oil pressure was dropping into the red.

She also reported fumes in the cockpit.

It soon became clear that the airport was out of reach.

Shelton then made the call to land on the busy I-10 highway, which was when this plane landing got really interesting for the young instructor.

The eastbound lanes were packed with traffic, with cars and trucks moving along the highway.

But she spotted a gap in traffic in the eastbound lanes and committed.

Shelton also had road signs and other obstacles to worry about, so there was no room for error.

The Piper eventually touched down on the highway without hitting any vehicles, and miraculously, neither Shelton nor her student were injured.

Pilots train all the time for all sorts of scenarios

Shelton has more than 1,300 hours of flight experience, which allowed her to be prepared for exactly this kind of emergency.

After practicing the scenario countless times, she had to use her training in a real-life emergency.

For her student, the situation must have been quite unexpected.

It was his first-ever flight lesson, but instead of getting a gentle introduction to the basics, he ended up watching his instructor land the plane on a highway.

Retired Navy and commercial pilot George Sigler explained just how difficult the landing was.

He estimated the plane was gliding at around 60 to 70 mph, which may not sound very fast, but was still a serious speed for an emergency landing.

After all, a collision with a road sign could have had disastrous consequences.

It was a frightening moment, but it also showed why pilots train for the worst.