No one was hurt when a single-engine plane made an emergency landing on a New Jersey highway Thursday after experiencing mechanical problems, authorities and the pilot said.
The pilot, identified as 51-year-old Christopher Okechukwu of Paramus, safely landed the Cessna C150 on Route 23 near Paradise and Doremus roads in West Milford around 1 p.m., police and federal officials said. Okechukwu was the only person on the plane.
No vehicles were hit during the emergency landing. Chopper 4 captured an extensive emergency presence at the scene as traffic slowed to a crawl behind the aircraft.
Okechukwu, a doctor who specializes in internal medicine, told NBC 4 New York he believes his carburetor iced up, triggering mechanical problems that made the engine run rough.
"I did what I was trained to do -- head for the nearest highway," Okechukwu said.
The doctor from Bergen County said he dodged a few overhead wires on the highway as he glided toward a potential landing place and eventually spotted an open stretch of the highway, behind a truck and car. He landed behind those vehicles, going with the flow of traffic, and caused minimal disruptions.
Okechukwu said Thursday was the first time he experienced such a problem in-flight and he was "a little shaken up." But the emergency landing wouldn't deter him from hitting the skies again, he said.
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"I'll be back off. I love to fly," Okechukwu said.
The FAA is investigating.
