A small commercial plane was forced to land in a snowstorm on Loudoun County Parkway in Virginia on Friday shortly after taking off from Washington Dulles International Airport, blocking the southbound lanes near the airport, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.
None of the seven people aboard was reported injured.
The plane was a commuter flight, Southern Airways Express Flight 246, Dulles International Airport representatives posted on X.
“Dulles Airport received reports around 12:50pm of a departed aircraft landing off airport property on a nearby roadway. … Dulles Airport remains open for takeoffs and landings,” the post said.
The flight took off from Dulles at 12:45 p.m. and landed at 12:47 p.m., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
The highway’s southbound lanes were closed between Yardley Ridge Drive and Arcola Mills Drive, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said.
Virginia State Police is on scene of a small plane that landed on Loudoun County Parkway. Loudon County Parkway southbound lanes will be closed between Yardley Ridge Drive and Arola Mills Drive. pic.twitter.com/vPNhmKRP0u
— Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (@LoudounSheriff) January 19, 2024
Virginia State Police responded, the sheriff’s office posted on X. Videos posted on X purportedly showed the plane sitting damaged on the highway, with Loudoun Fire Rescue nearby.
The plane in the video, N1983X, is a Cessna turbo propeller plane owned by Southern Airways, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Five of the people aboard the plane were passengers and two were pilots, Southern Airways said.
“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 … We are working closely with the authorities to thoroughly investigate the situation,” Southern Airways CEO Stan Miller said in a statement.
Authorities have not said whether any cars or drivers were involved in the plane’s crash landing. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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