Flint Township, Mich. — A solo pilot made an emergency landing on the shoulder of Interstate 69 near I-75 after the single-engine plane suffered a mechanical failure during descent toward Bishop Airport.
Flint Township police said the engine stalled on Oct. 10 while the aircraft was making its approach, and the pilot brought the plane down on the freeway shoulder without injuries or vehicle damage.
No cars were struck and no one was hurt, according to police, who are investigating with the Federal Aviation Administration and Bishop Airport authorities.
The landing closed a tense moment on a busy Genesee County corridor that feeds traffic between Flint and the Detroit metro area along the I-69 and I-75 interchange.
Police said the pilot had been descending toward Bishop International Airport when the stall occurred, leaving little time to find an alternate landing zone away from traffic.
Metro Detroit travelers often use the I-69 and I-75 junction as a gateway north, and the safe shoulder landing kept the incident from cascading into a multi-vehicle crash on the freeway.
