DNP Small Plane's Interstate Landing in Maine Backs Traffic Up for Miles
A small plane landed on interstate 295 in Cumberland, Maine Thursday after the engine of the aircraft began experiencing difficulties. Sachin Hejeji managed to land the single-engine Cessa 152 without hurting anyone around 5 p.m., during rush hour.
The small plane's interstate landing promptly caused a traffic jam that stretched for 10 miles backward, according to the Associated Press.
Hejeji was attempting to fly from Waterville to Portland International Jetport when his engine started having trouble at 2,000 feet in the air. He lost power, but fortunately was able to make it down without crashing.
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"He tried to get the power back to the engine and was unable to do so, and at that point his only option was to put down on the interstate," Maine State Police Trooper Justin Cooley told Bangor Daily News. "He landed at about mile 13 southbound in Cumberland. He came to a final rest on the median at 13 southbound."
The plane's presence didn't stop traffic from trying to continue on I-295, though.
"Traffic was just trying to get around it," witness Jacob Alves told AP. Some drivers drove underneath the wings of the plane to get by, but it was hardly enough to lessen the crowd of cars.
The Main Department of Transportation have constructed plans to rid the highway of the traffic. They will load the plane onto a flatbed truck and take it to a lot in Yarmouth, according to spokesman Ted Talbot.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, as the definite cause behind the emergency landing have yet to be discovered.
