Airplane Takes Off From Tennessee Highway After Making Emergency Landing

Like a scene lifted straight from a movie, but on a smaller scale.

Remember the three-minute film 405? Probably not. It was a short film released back at the beginning of the millennium that featured a commercial airplane landing on an empty stretch of I-405 in California. It was one of the first viral videos ever produced, making use of the blossoming internet to distribute copies. 

What happened in Tennesse was just like that – except that it’s on a smaller scale and the video wasn’t staged. According to Knoxville Police, as reported by WBIR 10 News, a small plane had to do an emergency landing on I-640 after it ran out of fuel. We can imagine the reaction of the drivers during that time – definitely something that they don’t see every day.

The plane involved was a Cessna 172 that contains a pilot and two passengers. It took off from Sky Ranch Airport near Alcoa Highway en route to Island Home Airport in South Knoxville. Capt. D.J. Corcoran, who was at the helm, told Knoxville Fire Department that he realized he was running out of fuel to make it to his destination. Because of that, he decided to make an emergency landing on the highway to refuel.

Thankfully, the pilot was skilled enough for the smooth landing, plus there were only a few cars on the road while doing the risky maneuver. The whole thing rendered zero injuries.

With the help of the pilot’s friend, the small plane refueled within an hour and was back on air. The police had to block the interstate for a bit, though, to give the plane around 2,000 feet of runway space for a safe take-off.

Highways are definitely one of our favorite places to drive. This where we can stretch the legs of our cars, reaching legal speed limits. It could also serve as a great landing spot for small airplanes as this story proved.

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