Plane passenger was hit by car after emergency landing on Interstate 840 in Greensboro

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A small plane landed on a Greensboro highway on Wednesday evening, according to the Greensboro Police Department.

EMS officials responded at around 8:51 p.m. to Interstate 840 near Battleground Avenue. Greensboro police said all westbound lanes were closed .

On Thursday, investigators revealed that the small plane was carrying two people and was trying to land at Piedmont Triad International Airport before experiencing engine trouble that forced the plane to land on I-840.

After landing on I-840 West near Interstate 73 South, the pilot steered the plane —a 1949 Beechcraft Bonanza— to the right shoulder of the highway.

Later, someone was driving west on I-840 in the middle lane swerved their car to the right, running off the road and striking the plane’s passenger who was standing on the right shoulder of the highway before hitting the right wing of the plane.

The passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital where they received treatment and have since been released.

The ramp remained closed until past midnight.

Greensboro Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Mardis released the following statement on Wednesday night:

On 08.28.2024 at approximately 1955 hours—Piedmont Triad Airport Communications received a distress call from a single engine small plane experiencing mechanical failure. The plane affected emergency landing on I-840 westbound at the I-73 juncture. Once stationary—a passenger vehicle traveling in the westbound lanes of I-840 made contact with the stationary airplane. There were two occupants in the airplane with one sustaining minor injury who was transported to be treated at a local hospital. There was one occupant in the passenger vehicle that did not sustain injuries. The Greensboro Police Department will oversee the vehicle crash investigation and the NTSB will investigate the cause of the airplane malfunction.

Greensboro Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Mardis

The GPD’s Traffic Safety Unit is investigating the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the emergency landing.

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