Driver captures video of flaming plane wreckage on Colorado highway

‘Both occupants from the plane sustained minor injuries and have been transported to the hospital,’ says the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority

A driver in Colorado filmed the flaming wreckage of a small airplane that crashed into a highway (Ian Powers)

A driver on a Colorado highway filmed a strange sight from his window on Tuesday: a small airplane in flames in the middle of the road.

The video, obtained by KDVR, shows the wreckage burning on the median of E-470, a major highway in Douglas County. As motorist Ian Powers drives past it, smoke and flames billow out of the aircraft.

Local authorities say the crash happened on Tuesday afternoon when a single-engine, six-passenger Cessna smashed into the median. Miraculously, the two people on board were able to walk away.

“Both occupants from the plane sustained minor injuries and have been transported to the hospital,” the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFR) tweeted. “No vehicles were involved in the crash.”

About an hour later, firefighters were able to extinguish the flames. Rescue workers drained water and fuel from the wreckage so it would be safer to move, and then loaded it onto a tow truck to clear the scene.

For a few hours, the stretch of highway where the plane crashed was closed to allow the cleanup, but eventually reopened.

“E470 in both directions is open,” tweeted Troop 1B of the Colorado State Patrol. “Thank you for your patience.”

Authorities say they’re investigating what caused the crash, but details are sparse so far. SMFR said the plane “was flying from the south toward the north and went down just south of Centennial Airport”.

A spokesperson for SMFR said the pilot deliberately avoided the cars on the highway, which may be why more people weren’t hurt.

“Sometimes we have to look for small miracles, and today the small miracle is that the pilot and passenger were able to walk away,” the spokesperson told KDVR.