(WSVN) - A plane was forced to use a snowy Virginia highway as a runway, but it wasn’t the only flight forced to make a tricky touchdown. Several states have dealt with winter’s wrath facing some sort of winter weather alert.
Investigators are looking into why Southern Airways Express Flight 246 had to make an emergency landing.
“I thought it was a much smaller plane, but then coming up close it, seeing that it is a pretty decent passenger size plane, you know, it’s scary,” said a witness. “It’s sad that it happened, but luckily, I’m pretty sure nobody got hurt, and that’s the biggest thing.”
The plane, which took off in the early afternoon headed toward Pennsylvania, was forced to make the emergency landing just two minutes later.
“I mean, I live just up the way, just up the way, so I was coming down the road, running some errands and just saw a bunch of emergency vehicles and fixed wing aircraft in the middle of the road.,” said a witness. “A little bit startling but, yeah, definitely strange sight, for sure.”
Officials said no one was hurt.
Bystanders were grateful the outcome wasn’t worse.
“Oh, it could’ve gone horribly, yeah. I mean, there’s trees on one side of the road, and then there’s power lines on the other, and he landed, you know, 100 feet before traffic lights,” said a bystander.
Thursday in Rochester, New York, a plane skidded off a snow runway. Passengers stepped off the American Airlines flight with the help of first responders.
Brian Potvin was a passenger on the flight and had just visited Miami to escape the snow.
“This is a very tiny plane, it’s very claustrophobic,” he said. There was a 4-year-old in front of me who was starting to bounce up and down. She was just ready to get off, and I think a lot of us were feeling what she was doing.”
Over two weeks of deadly winter storms have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country and have left thousands without power.
The snow is coming down from the mid-Atlantic up the East Coast in Philadelphia. Residents are dealing with the first significant snow in nearly two years.
“Normally like this place is packed. There is a line for like, the Rocky Steps and stuff like that, but it’s pretty dead outside right now,” said a resident.
Officials urge people to stay home.
“The winter storm is here. Those who can are taking care of those who are in need,” said Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.
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