Light aircraft forced to make emergency landing on A40 causing rush hour chaos
Plane suspected to have suffered engine failure before descending onto bypass central reserve
A light aircraft has been forced to make an emergency landing on a busy dual-carriageway at rush hour.
The bright yellow plane was pictured by shocked motorists as it sat astride the central reservation barrier of the A40 Golden Valley bypass, near Cheltenham – its wings protruding out into lanes of traffic travelling in both directions.
Despite it being 6pm on Thursday when the plane descended upon the bypass, no other vehicles were involved in the incident, and no one was injured, Gloucestershire Constabulary said.
The emergency services were called and the aircraft was later pictured in a layby blocked off using traffic cones, alongside several emergency cars and a large Highways England vehicle.
Pictures of the central reserve barrier appeared to show where it had partly collapsed under the weight of the aircraft as it landed atop it, with one back wheel on either side.
One person wrote on social media: “How brave was that pilot? Amazing”, while another added: “Well done to the pilot in their handling of an emergency landing. Minor damage to crash barriers and no lives lost.”
People are understood to have got out of the aircraft and made it to safety, according to the BBC, which reported that the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has launched a probe.
The surprise landing could have been due to engine failure, said Gloucester Airport’s new director Jason Ivey, who added that the plane was flying to Staverton, where it is normally housed.
“We are aware that a pilot has had to perform an emergency landing on the public highway due to a suspected engine failure,” the broadcaster quoted him as saying.
“We are currently investigating to find out what happened and why. Our priority right now is to ensure everyone’s well-being.”
A police spokesperson said: “We were called shortly before 6pm today with a report a light aircraft had landed on the A40 Golden Valley.
“No-one was injured and it is understood that no other vehicles were involved. We remain at the scene while work takes place to reopen the road.”
The road was shut for two hours after the incident, which took place near the village of Churchdown.
Lee Trunks, who drove past the plane, told MailOnline: “The wings of the plane completely spanned the lane I was in, so I indicated to the inside lane.
“As I drove past some people were trying to help the pilot out of the stricken plane. I continued my journey and as I got to Arle Court roundabout the police were starting to close the carriageway.
“It looked like the pilot managed to down the plane in the perfect place to not cause any harm considering it was towards the end of rush hour.”
Vesper Gray Smith, 17, said he was on a bus from Gloucester to Cheltenham when he saw the plane in the road and took photos of it.
He said: “I saw some fire engines going across a bridge near the site to go to the scene of the accident. There was police talking to witnesses and the pilot.
“Right as I went past the scene the road was shut off behind me. I didn’t see the plane land, but the photos were probably taken a few minutes after it did.
“I felt pretty surprised, as it’s really not something that happens often. I think everyone else on the bus was quite surprised as well.
“One of the first things I thought about the incident is if everyone is alright, and luckily they were.”
Local Lib Dem councillor Alisha Lewis joked: “My new best doorstep answer to ‘Any local issues we can help you out with?’: ‘Well there's a plane on the A40.’
“I've got a pretty impressive Cheltenham and Gloucestershire problem-solving phonebook but planes on the A40 are slightly beyond my Rolodex.”
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