[new_royalslider id=”9″]Delaware State Police were called to assist with traffic control and investigate a single vehicle crash related to an emergency landing of a plane that ended up on Route 1 near Dover Air Force Base.
The incident occurred around 5:25 p.m on Monday as an U.S. Air Force Cessna aircraft made an emergency landing in an open field southwest of the approach lights to the runway near Dover Air Force Base. After landing in the field, the aircraft continued in a northeasterly direction before crashing through a fence at the entrance of Pioneer Materials and onto Route 1.
The small aircraft then traveled northbound in a right turn lane of southbound Route 1 that leads to the entrance of Pioneer Materials After running out of room, the aircraft then crossed both southbound lanes and into the center median and managed to stop without striking any on-coming vehicles.
As the plane was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes, commuter traffic began swerving out of the way to avoid crashing into the aircraft.
A Hyundai Elantra, driven by Katie R. Torbert, 32 of Fawn Grove, Pa., avoided colliding with the plane and other vehicles, but applied her brakes and swerved to the left, striking the center guardrail. None of the occupants were injured.
A 54-year-old instructor pilot and the pilot, 44, were not injured in the incident and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the landing.
Southbound traffic in the area of the incident was limited to one lane of travel for approximately two and one- half hours as the plane was removed from the roadway by Air Force officials.
