Flight Lands On Virginia Highway Shortly After Takeoff

A small plane that left Washington Dulles International Airport on Friday ended up landing on a Virginia highway shortly after takeoff.

Dulles officials identified the plane on X, formerly Twitter, as Southern Airways Express Flight 246. Southern Airways is a small commuter airline based out of Florida, and its 246 route runs from Dulles to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The plane was a Cessna Caravan, which typically has a maximum of nine passengers, excluding the pilot and co-pilot. Flight 246 was carrying seven passengers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said in a statement Thursday that it is investigating the incident.

Stan Little, the chief executive of Southern Airways, told HuffPost in an email that no crew or passengers were hurt but gave no indication of the cause of the landing.

“We are relieved to report there were no injuries, and all passengers are safe and sound,” Little said. “We are thankful to our pilots, who did exactly what they were trained to do ― to put the safety of our passengers first. We are working closely with the authorities to thoroughly investigate the situation, and we will take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety and security of our passengers and our fleet.”

The sight of a plane sitting in the middle of Loudoun County Parkway, snarling traffic, was a highly unusual one for Northern Virginia. The Virginia Department of Transportation posted on X that “there is in fact a small plane in the roadway and blocking all lanes.”

According to data from FlightAware , the plane took off at 12:45 p.m. and flew for only two minutes before landing.

In October, HuffPost published a story detailing serious safety concerns among pilots who recently quit Southern