Small plane lands on Long Island’s Southern State Parkway
A small, single-engine plane landed on the Southern State Parkway on Long Island late Tuesday morning, officials said.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 touched down on the eastbound lanes near Exit 33/Route 109 in East Farmingdale shortly before noon, Pix 11 reported. The aircraft, just less than two hours into its flight, lifted off from a public airport around 10 a.m., though the specific location was not provided.
The plane’s pilot reported engine failure as it approached nearby Republic Airport around 11:40 a.m., just moments before the surprise landing, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed. Two people were onboard, including the pilot, at the time. No injuries have been reported and the status of those onboard were not provided.
The reason behind the emergency landing was unclear, but the FAA said it would investigate.
Witnesses said the plane was flying low over Suffolk County before finally touching down on the highway. Video and photos shared online also show the aircraft partly perched on the exit, with its tail end extending onto the roadway and one wing broken.
All lanes of the Southern State were subject to closure in the area, with only one eastbound lane available as of 12:30 p.m.
