Crew, passengers uninjured as plane forced to land on Va. highway

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Although a small plane made an emergency landing on a Virginia highway Friday afternoon, its crew and passengers weren't injured.

Southern Airways Express Flight 246 took off from Dulles International Airport Friday right before making a hard landing on the Loudoun County Parkway, according to local media.

All seven people on board -- the pilot, co-pilot, four adults and a 15-year-old boy -- walked away from the flight uninjured.

"The pilot was able to safely land the plane in the roadway without striking any vehicles. The only damage that occurred was to the guardrail off the right side of the Parkway," Virginia State Police said.

The single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan was bound for Lancaster, Penn., but came down almost immediately after takeoff. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

"We are relieved to report there were no injuries," Stan Little, CEO of Southern Airways, said in a statement. "We are thankful to our pilots, who did exactly what they were trained to do -- to put the safety of our passengers first. We are working closely with the authorities to thoroughly investigate the situation."

Dulles Airport in a statement posted to X said it still is open for takeoffs and landings.