Plane lands on SR 933
The plane came to a stop in front of the Pizza King in Roseland
Posted: 12/14/2004 01:48 pm
Last Updated: 12/14/2004 03:58 pm
Roseland, IN - A plane that took off from the South Bend Regional Airport landed on 933 just north of the Indiana Toll Road.
About 1:15 a distress sign came from the pilot and the pilot requested permission to land at the South Bend Regional Airport. The pilot reported having engine trouble.
"I was actually headed the opposite direction. I see this plane coming right straight for me. As I'm sitting there watching it closely, I saw it touch down and hit a pole and then came to a complete stop," said Jamison Rayner, an eye witness. "I just pulled off to the side to make sure it wouldn't hit me."
The plane, a Pilatus PC-12, came to a stop just in front of the Pizza King in Roseland.
There were five people onboard. There have been no injuries reported. The plane's occupants were taken to a nearby hotel.
Both the north and south bound lanes of SR 933 between Angela Blvd. and Cleveland Avenue are closed. Access to 933 from Douglas Road is restricted.
Exit #77 off of the toll road is also closed.
This happened only a few miles from where I work, I travel this stretch of road quite often, it is about a mile north of Notre Dame.
Right at the end of the workday a guy came around telling everyone to avoid this area on the way home because a plane landed on the highway, I don't go home this way but I was just through this area Saturday night, pretty wild!
I was listening to the radio during my drive home and the pilot said his engine just quit at 6000 feet, he tried to make it back to the airport but realized he wasn't going to make it so he looked for a place to land, he was lucky, this stretch of road is very busy much of the time. He landed safely and no one was hurt, but I guess part of a wing got clipped and he took out some power lines.
I'm going to try to remember to catch the local news tonight for more info and to see live shots, heck they may be showing something off and on all afternoon to keep people away from the area while they clean up.