A small, single-engine plane landed on the Southern State Parkway on Long Island Tuesday morning, with the pilot and one passenger sustaining minor injuries.
The aircraft landed on the highway at around 11.40 am at Exit 33 to Route 109, located just miles away from Republic Airport, authorities said.
The pilot and co-pilot were aboard the plane when the incident happened. Both were transported to hospital and sustained minor injuries, as reported by the Post.
‘The pilot reported engine failure while on approach to Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York,’ a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration told DailyMail.com.
All lanes of the Southern State were subject to closure in the area, with only one eastbound lane available as of 12.30 pm.
A small, single-engine plane crashed into traffic on the Southern State Parkway on Long Island Tuesday morning, with the pilot and one passenger sustaining minor injuries
The aircraft landed on the highway at around 11.40 am at Exit 33 to Route 109, located just miles away from Republic Airport, authorities said
The pilot and co-pilot were aboard the plane when the incident happened. Both were transported to hospital and sustained minor injuries
The aircraft had been flying low over Suffolk County before the pilot made the emergency landing.
The pilot, who has not been identified, reportedly told an air traffic controller that he had to land the plane on the highway due to the engine problems, NBC reported.
‘If you need to go on the highway that’s fine. If you can make it to the runway that’s approved as well,’ the air traffic controller can be heard saying.
Another pilot in the air said the plane appeared to hit a pole with its wing.
Photos and videos emerged on social media capturing the aftermath of the incident, with the plane’s right wing damaged and emergency crews on the scene.
There was a large fuel spill, as reported by local news outlet NEWS12.
The aircraft had been flying low over Suffolk County before the pilot made the emergency landing
Photos circulated on social media show the traffic on the parkway has been backed up for miles
Photos shared by social media users show traffic on the parkway has been backed up for miles.
The aircraft is registered under Aptum Aviation Inc, a company based in Nassau, New York, as shown by the U.S. Department of Transportation records.
The single-engine aircraft is a Piper PA-28 that usually seats four people.
The FAA is investigating the incident.