Local

‘A decent place to land is a highway:’ Aviation insider weighs in after plane lands on interstate

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. — The Troup County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that a small plane made an emergency landing on I-185 northbound near the 36-mile marker on Sunday afternoon.

Further investigation revealed that engine failure caused the plane to make an emergency landing.

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It happened around 1:45 p.m.

Troup County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Stewart Smith said initial information showed one pilot was in the plane when the engine failed as he was flying the plane from Tuskegee, Alabama to Williamson, Georgia.

He was able to make a safe landing and no one was hurt.

The landing snarled traffic and grabbed attention from those in the aviation industry.

Certified Flight Instructor Nathan Ballard said the highway is a decent place the land in these situations.

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“One of the places that, generally, is a decent place to land is a highway. It’s very big. It’s much like a runway. Interstates don’t have power lines. So, they’re really not bad when it comes to an emergency landing spot,” said Ballard.

Before towing the plane, a crew had to remove the fuel and wings.

The process took seven hours, which caused complications for drivers.

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