FALMOUTH, Maine (WHDH) — Maine State Police say a small plane landed on an interstate near Portland during rush hour after experiencing engine trouble.
Troopers say no one was injured when the single-engine Cessna 152 landed on the southbound lanes of I-295 in in Cumberland around 5 p.m. Thursday. The plane continued to taxi southward before stopping in the median in Falmouth.
Troopers say pilot Sachin Hejeji of Falmouth reported having engine trouble while flying from Waterville to Portland.
“The pilot was at about 2,000 feet in altitude and experienced an engine failure; he completely lost power to it and tried to regain power to it. He was unable to do so which caused him to do the landing. We’re at the fact that he might have ran out of fuel,” Maine State Trooper Justin Cooley said.
He was trying to make it to the Portland International Jetport but had to land on the highway. Police say he managed to avoid hitting any cars despite the busy time of day.
“Given the time of the day this particular stretch of road is a big commuter road. Thousands of cars come through her an hour, especially in an evening commute. It’s amazing,” Cooley said.
The FAA is now investigating the incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report