Plane makes emergency landing in middle of motorway

Cars drive around plane as it comes to halt on Highway 40 in Quebec

The plane landed on Highway 40 near Quebec City on Thursday morning (Twitter/Screengrab)

A mechanical problem with a light aircraft in Canada prompted the pilot to make an emergency landing in the nearest possible place – which turned out to be a busy motorway.

The incident in Quebec was captured on film by witness Mathieu Leclerc and shows the aeroplane coming down lower and lower over the roadway, until eventually it becomes clear this is not just a low pass or an accident, but a well-controlled landing.

It happened on Highway 40 in Quebec City on Thursday morning.

The plane is travelling in the same direction as the cars, and makes a smooth landing surrounded by vehicles.

Though the traffic appears to slow down, none of the drivers appear to stop completely as the plane touches down, and as soon as the aircraft comes to a halt, the cars caught directly behind it then move off around it and continue their journeys.

According to Canada’s CBC, at around 10.30am on Thursday, the pilot of the Piper Cherokee aircraft called the Quebec City fire department to ask for permission to land on the motorway a few kilometres south of the Jean-Lesage International Airport.

CBC spoke to Jean-Paul Daoust, who was in the car park at a nearby garden centre when he saw the aircraft coming down over the highway.

“I was pretty surprised,” said Mr Daoust. “First time I’ve ever seen a plane on a highway, except in the movies.”

On Twitter, Ian Mallon summed up how the situation appears to some of those watching the video: “Honestly can’t believe how they’ve not allowed more space for the plane and then all driven around him like he was a nuisance,” he wrote. “Meh... These pesky planes getting in my way again and not paying their road tax!”

Local fire department spokesperson Bill Noonan told CBC the plane had already landed safely when emergency crews arrived on site.

The pilot was not injured, he said.

Traffic was apparently halted for less than an hour while emergency crews escorted the plane off the road and to a nearby carpark.

Police confirmed a mechanical problem forced the pilot to make the surprise landing.