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Plane makes emergency landing on interstate in Tennessee
By Rebekah Riess and Colin Jeffery, CNN
Plane makes emergency landing on interstate in Tennessee
It's definitely *** blessing *** blessing that no one was injured after pilot Frank Grubbs was forced to make an emergency landing on the highway. Grubs piloting *** zen at 750 explains when he knew something was wrong with the engine. I went through all my, all the checklist to make sure that everything was as it should be and I couldn't find Anything that was, you know, wrong. But you know, when I got it going again for just *** minute, but then it quit again and that was it. That was the moment grubs knew he had to make an emergency landing and the only place he could was on interstate 40 going eastbound. I just didn't have any choices because y'all looked around in trees and buildings and people and I was just trying to, so at least I just turned and I was going in the direction of the traffic so I could stay out of the way. He flew out of Sky Ranch Airport around one p.m. Saturday and after less than 40 minutes of flight the engine began to give out. Grubs was the only person inside the plane and no one was injured. Sergeant thomas Clinton was The Knoxville Police Department explains how Grubbs was able to safely land. He was trying to make it under the ramp where there was less traffic obviously, but luckily nobody was, nobody was involved with him and he was able to land it safely enough to get him out and keep everybody else safe. So due to grubs, emergency landing traffic became congested for several hours on I-40 going eastbound. I'm just sorry, back traffic up so far so inconvenienced *** lot of people, so I hate that.
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Plane makes emergency landing on interstate in Tennessee
By Rebekah Riess and Colin Jeffery, CNN
A small plane made an emergency landing on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, managing not to strike any vehicles in the process, according to the Knoxville Police Department.The pilot was not harmed and there were no significant injuries, said Mark Nagi, community relations officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. There were no other passengers onboard.Authorities credited both the pilot and good fortune for preventing what could have been a tragic accident."He was trying to make it onto the ramp where there was less traffic obviously, but luckily nobody was involved with him and he was able to land safely enough to get him out and keep everybody else safe," said Knoxville Police Sgt. Thomas Clinton.Traffic in the area was impacted for several hours and drivers were asked to seek alternate routes if possible.The plane was eventually loaded onto a wrecker and removed from the interstate, police said. All eastbound lanes of I-40 have been reopened.The pilot, Frank Grubbs, told CNN affiliate WVLT the engine failed mid-flight and other options for landing were unavailable."I'm just sorry I backed traffic up so far. I inconvenienced a lot of people, so I hate that," Grubbs told WVLT.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Video by WVLT via CNN) —

A small plane made an emergency landing on Interstate 40 in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, managing not to strike any vehicles in the process, according to the Knoxville Police Department.

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The pilot was not harmed and there were no significant injuries, said Mark Nagi, community relations officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. There were no other passengers onboard.

Authorities credited both the pilot and good fortune for preventing what could have been a tragic accident.

"He was trying to make it onto the ramp where there was less traffic obviously, but luckily nobody was involved with him and he was able to land safely enough to get him out and keep everybody else safe," said Knoxville Police Sgt. Thomas Clinton.

Traffic in the area was impacted for several hours and drivers were asked to seek alternate routes if possible.

The plane was eventually loaded onto a wrecker and removed from the interstate, police said. All eastbound lanes of I-40 have been reopened.

The pilot, Frank Grubbs, told CNN affiliate WVLT the engine failed mid-flight and other options for landing were unavailable.

"I'm just sorry I backed traffic up so far. I inconvenienced a lot of people, so I hate that," Grubbs told WVLT.