Watch: The incredible moment pilot lands small plane on I-35W, hits SUV
Video has been released showing the moment a small aircraft landed on I-35W in the north Twin Cities metro on Wednesday evening.
The single-engine plane landed in the northbound roadway shortly after 9 p.m., managing to avoid the concrete median and the lampposts in the center and on the side of the road.
It also avoided other vehicles as it touched down, but then collided with an SUV as the pilot attempted to bring it to a stop.
Fortunately, nobody was seriously hurt in the collision.
The pilot was identified as 52-year-old Craig Gifford, of Minneapolis, to whom the plane is registered.
The crash is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation and Safety Board.
David Stratioti was on the road when the crash happened and called 911.
"We were driving home from RiverWest and noticed a low flying plane – like too low for where we were - about a half mile from 694 going North on 35," he told BMTN.
"Then all of a sudden we saw the plane try to land in the median and it swiped an SUV. We pulled over and saw the two people in the plane get out and went over to see if everyone was okay in the SUV."
"The wing cut into the left side of the SUV. The engine was smoking but no fire. There were two people in the plane. We only saw one in the SUV, but we're unsure if anyone else was inside."
