Pilot makes safe landing on US highway

A pilot whose engine died looked around for a smooth emergency landing spot and spotted just what he needed – a four-lane highway that wasn’t busy.

Frank H. Smith, 87, was flying his home-built aircraft at 8,500 feet when he lost power yesterday afternoon.

He saw that traffic on a stretch of the US 1 highway in North Carolina was light enough for him to land in the southbound lanes without endangering any vehicles, then put his plane down and coasted over to the side of the highway.

“When the engine blows, you’ve got to put it down someplace,” he said. “Highway 1 was the best I could do. I lucked out.”

State Trooper Ed Suttles said no charges would be filed and the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.

Smith, a retired engineer, said it was the first problem he has had in about 30 years of flying. He said the aircraft has given him no trouble since he built it in 1993.