Single-engine plane makes emergency landing on US 1 in Chatham County
A single-engine plane was forced to land on U.S. 1 in Chatham County on Thursday afternoon.
No one was injured, according to the State Highway Patrol, but rush-hour traffic was backed up in both directions near the Pea Ridge Road interchange.
It appears the plane left Lynchburg, Virginia, and was on its way to Ocean Isle Beach, when it landed about 3:45 p.m., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com.
The plane, a PAI Lancair 320, had been flying at about 4,500 feet when it made a quick descent. During the emergency landing on northbound U.S. 1, the plane hit the passenger side of an SUV while debris struck the top of another vehicle.
On Friday, the State Highway Patrol identified the pilot as Alec Bivens of Applegate, California. It said the plane “suffered a mechanical failure,” but did not elaborate.
The plane ended up partially blocking the northbound lanes of U.S. 1, but the emergency response and the sight of an aircraft on the highway brought southbound traffic to a crawl as well.
This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 6:24 PM.
