SUWANNEE COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — UPDATE 9:49 p.m.: The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) released a report on the incident Friday night.
FHP said at 4:02 p.m. Friday, its communication center was notified of a plane on Interstate 10 near the 275 mile mark.
Once FHP, Suwannee County Sheriff's Office deputies and Florida Department of Agriculture officers arrived at the scene, it was revealed that the pilot of the airplane made an emergency landing using the eastbound lanes of the interstate.
The report said the pilot was headed to Cross City and discovered that when he attempted to switch from one fuel tank to the second fuel tank, a supply failure occurred; forcing the emergency landing.
Once the plane landed, it was pushed to the interstate's center grass median until it could be refueled.
At 6:22 p.m., the interstate was closed in order for the plane to take off using the eastbound lanes.
FHP said teamwork between local law enforcement agencies and alert motorists made the landing and subsequent take off of the Cessna 152 successful with no injuries or property damage.
UPDATE 7 p.m.: The airplane was allowed to take off from the highway.
UPDATE: 5:11 p.m.: A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said FHP responded to the incident at 4:03 p.m. Friday.
The airplane landed on or near the interstate and the pilot was successful in landing without injuries.
FHP said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified of the incident.
The Suwannee County Sheriff's Office said the plane made an emergency landing on Interstate 10 westbound near the 275 mile marker.
The sheriff's office said traffic on I-10 is expected to be backed up until they figure out how to remove the airplane.
INITIAL REPORT
An airplane has landed on Interstate 10 east in Suwannee County.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation's 511 website, a plane is in the grass median of I-10 near mile marker 272.
The Florida Highway Patrol's Live Traffic and Road Condition report website said the incident is designated an aircraft crash on land.
Law enforcement officials are at the scene.
Traffic in the direction of the plane has come to a crawl.
