By Tim Binnall
Motorists in Minnesota were stunned when a distressed aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on the highway in the middle of three vehicles that were cruising down the road. According to a local media report, the shocking incident occurred on Wednesday evening on a stretch of interstate highway passing through the city of Arden Hills. Unbeknownst to the drivers on the ground, a single engine aircraft flying overhead experienced a sudden engine failure and needed to make a daring landing in order to avoid disaster.
Fortunately, the man at the controls of the plane was Craig Gifford, who just so happens to be a seasoned competitive aerobatic pilot. Putting his considerable skills to use, he was able to deftly bring the aircraft down onto the highway for a dramatic impromptu landing. In a wild video of the scene captured by a traffic camera, Gifford's plane can be seen emerging from out of screen and then dropping down onto the road in a rather tight space between three cars zooming down the highway.
Alas, the landing was not complete success as the plane did wind up striking an SUV in the process, however the driver of that vehicle came out of the crash unscathed. Witnesses who were on the highway when the landing occurred expressed amazement that no one was injured in the event, especially in light of the considerable damage done to both the plane and the SUV as well as the potential for other vehicles to have gotten caught up in the crash.