GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A plane that landed on a Gwinnett County interstate after crashing into a semi-truck in January was due to engine failure after the engine unexpectedly lost all power, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The small plane landed on Interstate 985 around 4:15 p.m. on January 24. The single-engine Piper PA-28 sat for hours in the northbound lanes of I-985, closing that side of the interstate during the evening rush hour.
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The flight instructor reported that she and the student pilot practiced several maneuvers in the local area and were returning to their home airport.
She asked the student to switch fuel tanks since it was time to do so. Shortly thereafter, the engine unexpectedly lost all power, the report says.
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Unable to reach an airport, the flight instructor performed a forced landing to a local interstate highway. During the landing, the airplane’s nose landing gear collapsed and the right wing was damaged, officials said in the report.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. He reported that the right wing was substantially damaged. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
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