"A single-engine aircraft made an emergency landing on the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls, Monmouth County, this afternoon, authorities said. There were no injuries.
The parkway was shut down temporarily after the plane landed on the northbound shoulder at about 1:30 p.m., but has since reopened.
The pilot, Joe Rubino of Hazlet, said the two-seater Cessna 152 encountered engine trouble about seven minutes after taking off from Monmouth Executive Airport in Wall Township.
The 45-year-old pilot said he started to turn the craft around but realized he wouldn't be able to make it back to the airport safely.
Rubino said he eased the plane onto the highway shoulder, flying under the sign that spans the highway where the local and express lanes split in Monmouth County.
"We approached the sign - Joe said there was no way we would be able to get over it," said passenger John Hannon, who was in the plane to take photos of real estate. "We both braced for impact...miraculously, we did not hit."
The cars on the highway scattered as the plane landed, Rubino, an instructor at Eagle's View Flight School, said in an interview after landing the plane.
Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger
Pilot Joe Rubino, 44, of Hazlet, reacts after he made an emergency landing of his Cesna 152 on the Garden State Parkway in Tinton Falls.
Rubino said he did all his pre-flight checks and did not know what caused the engine trouble.
Turnpike Authority spokesman Joe Orlando said there is only 16 feet of clearance under the sign Rubino cleared.
"He goes over the trees, under a sign, manages to avoid any cars, and lands on the side of the highway," Orlando said. "We have single-car accidents that cause bigger delays than this guy did with a Cessna. The guy did an amazing job, kept his head about him."
The parkway was closed to traffic for about 10 minutes while the plane was loaded onto a flatbed truck and moved to a U-turn area between the north- and south-bound lanes, Orlando said."
Small plane lands on Parkway, no injuries reported - Breaking News From New Jersey - NJ.com
My dad was working when this happened
THe website has pictures of the incident
Any landing you can walk away from...
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