A small plane encountering engine issues made an emergency landing on a highway near a North Carolina airport, striking two vehicles, fortunately resulting in no reported injuries, authorities confirmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) disclosed that the single-engine Lancair 360, carrying only the pilot, executed the landing near Raleigh Executive Jetport at Sanford-Lee County Airport in Sanford around 4:20 p.m. on Thursday due to engine problems. The FAA will investigate the incident.
North Carolina airport (Credits: Fox News)
According to FlightAware, which monitors flight activity, the aircraft was en route from Lynchburg, Virginia, to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Upon landing on U.S. Route 1, the plane made contact with two SUVs; however, only one vehicle sustained minor damage, with no reported injuries, as stated by Moncure Fire Department Chief Robert Shi on Friday.
The pilot recounted experiencing a prop failure leading to engine failure, necessitating the emergency landing, Shi explained. Due to the plane’s landing gear not being deployed, it made a belly landing.
Moncure Fire Department Chief Robert Shi (Credits: NBC)
Expressing gratitude that the incident resulted only in property damage, Shi acknowledged the potential severity of the situation, considering the heavy traffic on US1 during the afternoon. According to WRAL-TV, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol indicated that only one driver filed a report of the two vehicles affected by the plane’s landing.
Chris Sealey, a witness to the event, recounted observing the low-flying plane without landing gear, initially mistaking it for an unusual car from a distance. He described the scene, noting the absence of an explosion and the heightened reaction of nearby motorists.
