Plane Lands on NJ Turnpike During Rush Hour

Morning rush hour took an alarming turn today as a single-engine plane made an emergency landing on the New Jersey Turnpike. Neither the pilot nor his passenger, a traffic reporter for Philadelphia media outlets, was injured.

Turnpike Authority Chief of Staff Joe Orlando told AOL News that the Cessna 152 landed in the northbound lanes of the turnpike near Cherry Hill, N.J., just before 6:45 a.m. Monday. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac confirms the landing was precautionary because of a low-oil-pressure indicator.

"He landed in the middle of the road and then pulled off to the shoulder," Orlando said. "We have a hard enough time getting motorists to do that, let alone a crippled aircraft."

No one on the ground was injured when the plane touched down, according to State Police. The turnpike reopened about an hour later, after a truck towed the aircraft to a turnpike maintenance yard. The landing caused delays, as traffic was diverted only to the left shoulder.

The plane, hired by Metro Networks, was hovering above the turnpike to provide traffic reports to KYW-AM radio and KYW-TV.

Orlando said the stretch of the turnpike where the landing took place in the southern part of the state was not as bustling as parts in northern New Jersey, where the pilot likely would have encountered bumper-to-bumper traffic.

It may not seem as miraculous as last year's plane landing on the Hudson River, but Orlando, a licensed pilot, praised the Cessna pilot's quick thinking and aviation skills.

"He landed better on the roadway than I've seen some pilots land on the runway," he told AOL News.


Ok I do not know about you but if I saw a plane land on the road in front of me I would need the ipoo because I would have definately pooped my pants !!!!!!!!!!!!