Wild dashcam video captured the frightening moment when mechanical failure forced a pilot to land an airplane on an interstate in Pennsylvania.
Around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, a single-engine 1995 Commander 114B aircraft was forced to land in the busy eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 in Weisenberg Township in Lehigh County.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police, the airplane, piloted by a 65-year-old man from Michigan, took off from Solberg Airport in New Jersey with the intention of traveling to Indiana.
The pilot reportedly tried to land at a nearby airport while reporting unidentified engine issues, but could not make it that far. He expressed reluctance to land on the highway, but radio transmissions indicated he had determined it was the best course of action.
Several eyewitnesses recalled what they saw
Emily Rivera, who was traveling on Interstate 78 when the emergency landing took place, captured much of what happened on her vehicle’s dashcam.
“As it got closer, I was like, ‘That plane’s really freaking close to me.’ It was crazy. It was crazy. I was holding my breath the entire time,” she told WGAL News.
“It was an Easter miracle,” Victor Machese, who witnessed the unusual landing, told ABC 7 News. “He landed in two lanes. His wings were literally from almost the center median to the grass on the other side, and like I said, he didn’t look like he was freaking out, he was just looking straight ahead.”
“You hear about things like that, but not too often do you get to see it first person,” said another witness, Chase Galanti. “He must have done the right things and kept his cool to be able to safely land the plane.”
Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Chief Justin Oswald said it “was probably the best possible outcome for this type of incident we could see.”
The pilot and his 34-year-old passenger were reportedly unhurt. Crews later hauled away the plane on a flatbed truck. State Police said the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
“It’s one of those things that you don’t necessarily train for. You don’t anticipate an aircraft landing on your highway,” Oswald added.