Posted on 12/19/2005 2:11:59 PM PST by ShadowDancer
Small Plane Lands On I-75
No Injuries Reported
POSTED: 3:38 pm EST December 19, 2005
UPDATED: 4:59 pm EST December 19, 2005
A small plane made an emergency landing on Interstate 75 Monday afternoon, according to Allen Park police.
The plane landed in the southbound lanes of the freeway at Dix Highway, Local 4 reported. Traffic was passing in only one lane, according to ClickOnDetroit.com partner Traffic.com. Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.
No injuries or damage to the freeway was reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been called to investigate the incident, Local 4 reported.
I think, though, that he had it in mind to stop traffic first...could be wrong about that...
The powerlines crossing the highways are killer though. You can't see them from the air.
Is it a toll road?
Does a successful forced landing constitute an accident? Assuming the pilot landed there for good reason, I'd say he probably averted an accident. Too bad about traffic snarls, but a whole lot better than wrecking the plane, a building and killing people.
No, it's not. It's Interstate 75, it runs straight down to Florida from here.
ooops....
they are on the maps, so there should be no excuse. on top of that, a small single engine plane would barely keep up with the speed of traffic when landing at normal speeds. A Cessna 152 can lift off at just under 60 knots.
"Eisenhower made a design decision back when the interstate system was created to ensure that there were straights sufficient to act as jet runways in the event of a hot war."
This is a myth, though as a private pilot roads can seem awfully attractive as runways, and at my home field the only real choice if you lose your engine after T.O. is a freeway or road. But a field might be the better choice if you have the option. Powerlines, light fixtures, traffic, concrete dividers, alignment with wind, etc.
Any ol port in a storm right?
http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21527-2005Feb13.html
Apparently the guy immediately got out and made a call on his cell phone. That ought to keep AAA busy for a little while.
Near LPHS?
Opposite side of Dix and 75, where they meet by the storage place. There have been a million helicopters around here.
I see..I went and read the story, over by Goddard...
I hope you didn't hurt yourself.
Next time post the info...
Yeah, right. As if Eisenhower was going to tell the Highway Department what he was doing.
Get real ;^>
Seriously, I know from personal sources that drills were run with a few specific sections of highway (not "one in five" as the urban leged sites have it) as disbursed runways during the "bad old days" of SAC. I've heard reports from SAC pilots whom I have had the privelage of speaking with from their time in the 50s and 60s of some very hairy tests of this concept. It apparently dates back to World War 2 and the XB-19 program. I suppose they could have been BSing me, but I don't buy it, based on other things that they've told me over the years. However, they are some very twisted people. Disciplined, but twisted (grin)
The Harrier was explicitely developed so that it could use unimproved roadways for take off and landing, primarily in Europe (they can carry more if they are "short take off" rather than "vertical take off") based on the experiences of trying to build up roadway segments that would tolerate the abuse of modern aircraft.
Time? It's zero 1800, or something like that...military time is too confusing...
Ah, well, another urban legend down - I used to live near one of these "flight strips" and it was a major comfort to know it was there when my instructer yanked the @#$%# throttle for the umpteenth time...
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