A twin-engine plane made a daring emergency landing on the northbound Thruway near Exit 23 in Albany, New York. Authorities are calling the event a Christmas miracle.
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According to Albany’s ABC affiliate, News 10, the plane, en route from South Carolina, was forced to make an emergency landing on the Thruway due to engine trouble.
#BREAKINGNEWS State police confirmed a small plane made a landing on the Northbound off ramp at Exit 23 of the Thruway. No injuries have been reported. pic.twitter.com/NBzwUWKW21
— CBS 6 Albany – WRGB (@CBS6Albany) December 20, 2024
“The pilot realized he was not going to successfully reach the airport. Observed the thruway down below and decided to make an emergency landing. So, he successfully landed the plane, amazingly, without striking any vehicles,” New York State Police Major Andre Ray told the outlet.
An Eyewitness Recounts the Harrowing Emergency Landing on a New York Thruway
Eyewitness Corey Wollard was still shocked about the scene hours later.
“It was just something out of a movie scene today. I mean, you hear about things like that, you know, you read about things like that. You don’t actually get to see them in your own two eyes,” Wollard recalled to News 10.
🚨TRAFFIC ALERT: NYS Thruway northbound near Exit 23 in Albany, a small plane made a landing on the roadway. two lanes are currently closed. Minor injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/i6wZnidZYT
— NewYorkStatePolice (@nyspolice) December 20, 2024
Wollard was heading to Manhattan for work when he and his coworker witnessed the wild landing.
“As we were approaching around Exit 23, we just have to look up to the sky. I mean, and unbelievably enough, we see a plane coming in for a landing. I mean, at that point that we said it was already so low,” Wollard recalled.Â
“We didn’t get stopped fully, opposed to where the other side actually had it already cleared out for his runway to land,” he added.
The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing with two passengers on board. While minor injuries were reported, everyone escaped without serious harm.
The New York State Police have confirmed that the FAA is now leading the investigation regarding the incident. The plane is expected to be relocated today, weather and traffic conditions permitting, when it can be safely towed back to the hangar.