Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OGDEN, Utah (AP) — A small plane that clipped a car from behind while making an emergency landing on a major freeway in Utah Saturday may have experienced mechanical problems, authorities said.
Utah Highway Patrol spokesman Andrew Battenfield says the single-engine plane flew under an overpass before landing near Ogden.
A flight instructor who was training a student pilot took control and landed the plane when it started having mechanical problems, Battenfield said. They had been doing practice landings earlier.
"They were doing touch-and-goes at the Ogden airport when the plane started having mechanical malfunctions," Battenfield said.
A photo published by the Standard-Examiner showed the plane parked on the right side of Interstate 15 as authorities prepared to remove it with a truck while southbound traffic was restricted to one lane.
The plane did not appear to be significantly damaged.
A couple and their two children were in the car, headed from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Farmington, Utah, to attend a soccer tournament.
The driver, Mayra Ramirez, said her children, ages 9 and 5, were sleeping when the plane hit their car from behind.
"They woke up pretty shook," Ramirez said.
The impact shattered two of the car's windows and caused minor damage to the top of the car.
"I heard this really loud noise. I thought it was a motorcycle but when I looked in the rearview mirror, it was a plane," she said. "It was both a little scary and surreal."
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
