BUFORD, Ga. — The National Traffic Safety Board released new details Friday on what forced pilots of a single-engine plane to make an emergency landing on a highway in Buford last month.
The incident happened on Jan. 24, when the small plane shut down all lanes of I-985 in Gwinnett County after it landed on the highway. The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot of a single-engine Piper PA-28 was forced to land with two people on board.
According to the preliminary report, aboard the plane was a flight instructor and a student pilot. The flight instructor said that she and the student were practicing different maneuvers in the area and were about to head back to the airport for landing.
Shortly after asking the student pilot to switch the fuel tanks due to the fact they needed to be exchanged, the engine suddenly lost all power, despite the throttle being all the way forward, the report stated.
After realizing they would be unable to reach a nearby airport, they made the decision to make an emergency landing in I-985. The plane's nose landing gear collapsed during the landing and NTST officials noted there was damage to the right wing.
Gwinnett Fire said crews responded to the scene at approximately 4:13 p.m. Firefighters said the small plane crashed into a semi-tractor trailer just past the I-85 northbound exit.
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