A single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft made an emergency landing on Georgia’s Interstate 985 on Tuesday, January 24, shortly after 4 p.m. 48 minutes had passed since takeoff from Gwinnett County Airport when the pilot touched down. The pilot reportedly circled close to Lake Lanier before flying south toward the freeway, according to Atlanta News First. They struck a semi-trailer that was moving down the road when the pilot touched down.
Thankfully, nobody was hurt either on the plane or on the highway. Before the jet could be moved off the road, a HAZMAT crew was sent to the scene to collect around 10 gallons of fuel.
Today marks 14 years since Miracle on the Hudson. All 155 passengers and the crew survived @NY1 pic.twitter.com/qTphGtxzOJ
— Justine Re (@JustineReTV) January 16, 2023
A Cessna 172 Skyhawk made an emergency landing on US 27 in Florida’s Broward County earlier this month. According to reports, the Pelican Flight Training pilot made the emergency landing after experiencing engine issues. There was a student on the plane at the time who most likely got more out of their experience in class than they anticipated.
Not only small aircraft have to perform emergency landings in peculiar locations. Just over 14 years ago, one of the most well-known aviation landings occurred in New York City. After striking a group of geese on January 15, 2009, the two pilots of US Airways flight 1549 expertly made a water landing in the Hudson River. The event was commemorated as the “Miracle on the Hudson” and was widely publicized.
155 people on board were saved thanks to the fast thinking of Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles.
