As reported by NBC Washington
A roadway in Northern Virginia became an airplane’s runway during snowfall Friday. A small airplane with seven people on board made an emergency landing on Loudoun County Parkway, Virginia State Police said and stunning video footage shows.
No one on the plane or on the ground was hurt. Southern Airways Express Flight 246 made its emergency landing at about 12:50 p.m. The plane landed in the southbound lanes of the parkway near Arcola Mills Drive. The area is close to Dulles International Airport.
Jesse Labell said he was driving along Loudon County Parkway when he suddenly saw the plane.
“I look up and the plane’s like 20 feet above me and it lands like 20 feet in front of me. And, just driving, I’m like, ‘Uh, what’s going on?’ So, they go down, they land it. They got squirrely at the end here and crashed into the guardrail. I checked on everybody and saw if they were good,” he said.
Two crew members and five passengers were aboard the plane, Southern Airways confirmed. Police said the passengers were four adults and a 15-year-old boy.
The pilot, a 27-year-old Florida man, was able to safely land the plane on the parkway without hitting any vehicles, a police spokesperson said. The only damage that occurred was to a guardrail on the right side of the parkway, she said.
No one from the plane needed to be taken to a hospital, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said.
Dulles Airport officials said the small plane took off from the airport and then quickly made an emergency landing on the nearby parkway.
In a statement shared at 1:30 p.m., airport officials said: "Dulles Airport received reports around 12:50pm of a departed aircraft landing off airport property on a nearby roadway. The aircraft was identified as Southern Airways Express flight 246. Responders from Loudoun County are managing the scene, and Dulles Airport remains open for takeoffs and landings."
The southbound lanes of Loudoun County Parkway were closed as police responded to the emergency landing, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said in a social media statement. They reopened about 6 p.m.
Loudoun County Fire & Rescue said there was a crew nearby when the plane landed, so crews were able to respond quickly.
An image shared by VDOT showed traffic stopped and police lights flashing on the roadway as emergency responders handled the situation.
The reasons for the emergency landing were not immediately shared, but winter weather caused traffic havoc around the D.C. area Friday. Conditions had forced a groundstop Friday morning at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington.
State police said the plane was a single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan.
Stan Little, CEO of Southern Airways, released a statement saying: "We are relieved to report there were no injuries, and all passengers are safe and sound. We are thankful to our pilots, who did exactly what they were trained to do -- to put the safety of our passengers first. We are working closely with the authorities to thoroughly investigate the situation, and we will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of our passengers and our fleet."
State police blocked off traffic and are now leading the investigation. Police said both the FAA and NTSB were notified.
