Several Lanes Of The Busy Highway Were Closed For A Time

A small airplane made an emergency landing Friday on Interstate 4 in central Florida, a heavily-traveled corridor through the middle of the peninsula.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that emergency vehicles responded to a report of a small plane that made an emergency landing on the newly-constructed eastbound lanes of the highway that are not yet open to the public near Exit 94. But the incident caused several lanes to close while emergency vehicles responded to the scene, and traffic slowed in both directions, according to authorities.

Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes said that the pilot was flying his Cubcrafters LSA to Orlando Executive Airport. He had traveled from Boca Raton to DeLand, and was returning to Orlando Executive when the incident occurred. He said he was trying to land on a nearby golf course, but used the unopened portion of the highway instead.

The pilot told troopers he had experienced a mechanical difficulty with the airplane, but reportedly had previously told witnesses that he had exhausted the fuel in the airplane.

The pilot was the only person on board the aircraft. He was not injured, and the plane was not damaged. The plane was dismantled and shipped back to Boynton Beach according to State Police.

FAA records indicate that the plane is owned by 48-year-old Kenneth Heinz of Boynton Beach.

(Image from file. Not incident airplane)

FMI: Original Report