Small commuter airliner traveling from Dulles lands on road
By Pete Muntean and Gregory Wallace, CNN
(CNN) — A small commuter plane, which took off from Dulles Airport near Washington, DC, has landed on a Virginia roadway, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation in a post on social media.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Southern Airways Express Flight 246 made a hard landing on Route 606 after departing Dulles International Airport, in Virginia, around 12:50 p.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 19. Seven people were on board. The flight was traveling to Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania.
The agency said it was investigating.
Virginia transportation officials said the plane was blocking all lanes of the Loudoun County Parkway at Arcola Mills Drive.
“At 12:51 p.m., Virginia State Police responded to a call about a small, private aircraft making an emergency landing in the DIREX lanes of the Loudoun County Parkway. No injuries have been reported. State Police are on the scene,” the department told CNN in a statement.
“Dulles Airport received reports around 12:50 p.m. of a departed aircraft landing off airport property on a nearby roadway. The aircraft was identified as Southern Airways Express flight 246. Responders from Loudoun County are managing the scene, and Dulles Airport remains open for takeoffs and landings,” the airport said in a statement.
Information from the tracking site FlightAware shows the plane only climbed about 800 feet for about two minutes before landing on the roadway.
In a statement to CNN, Stan Little, CEO of 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 – to put the safety of our passengers first. We are working closely with the authorities to thoroughly investigate the situation, and we will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of our passengers and our fleet.”
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