Small plane lands on Idaho interstate during rush hour

It is unclear why the single-engine aircraft landed on part of Interstate 84 just west of Boise Airport.

“Seven-three-mike, I’m on the freeway”, the pilot says. “Do you see anything?” he asks.

In transmissions between the craft and an air traffic controller, the pilot says he is about to land on the interstate. A few lanes of the freeway were shut down for two hours while emergency crews, including Boise Police and Fire and the Idaho State Police tried to untangle the commuter mess.

Andy Patrick, owner of Boise-based charter business SP Aircraft, says the pilot had plenty of fuel aboard but forgot to switch fuel tanks and couldn’t make the runway at the Boise Airport when the engine quit.

A small airplane landed in the eastbound lanes of Interstate-84 in Boise near the Orchard Street exit backing up traffic for miles.

‘This was probably his best choice, ‘ said Santiago Guerricabeitia of the Idaho Transportation Department’s Division of Aeronautics. The craft’s propeller bent from striking the pavement, but Patrick said damage to the plane can be repaired.