A private plane was forced to land on a major road minutes after taking off Friday afternoon, Virginia State Police (VSP) said, NBC Washington reported.
The small aircraft landed at approximately 12:51 p.m. on Loudoun County Parkway’s DIREX lanes near Dulles International Airport, VSP confirmed, according to the outlet.
“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,” Dulles International Airport said in a statement released at 1:30 p.m., the outlet reported.
An image shared by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in a statement posted on Twitter showed the plane on the road surrounded by various emergency response vehicles with flashing lights. The southbound lanes of Loudoun County Parkway were closed as a result of the incident, VDOT announced in the statement, NBC Washington reported.
“There is in fact a small plane in the roadway and blocking all lanes of Loudoun County Pkwy at Arcola Mills Dr.,” VDOT wrote on Twitter. “Please use alternative routes.”
#Dulles: there is in fact a small plane in the roadway and blocking all lanes of Loudoun County Pkwy at Arcola Mills Dr. Please use alternate routes. #VaTraffic pic.twitter.com/QJjQCv3TiP
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) January 19, 2024
Police responded to the plane’s unexpected return to ground, which occurred not far from Dulles International Airport, VDOT said, according to NBC Washington. No injuries were reported following the emergency landing, according to VSP, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Boeing Cargo Plane Has Mid-Flight Emergency As Federal Investigation Continues)
The cause of the airplane’s abrupt emergency landing was reportedly not disclosed. However, snowy weather conditions grounded aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport in the morning and affected traffic in the DMV’s vicinity on the same day, the outlet reported.