CRESWELL, N.C. — A plane leaving the Outer Banks made an emergency landing Monday morning in eastern North Carolina, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said.
Lieutenant Charles Arnold said a pilot heading from Dare County to Plymouth, N.C. experienced a loss of power and had to make a belly landing on Highway 64 near Creswell.
Lt. Arnold said the pilot of the four-seater Piper Cub was the only one on board. He had to set the plane down without landing gear and skidded across the highway.
The pilot, who said he's been flying since 1972, was not hurt. Lt. Arnold told ABC affiliate WCTI that the pilot was "the calmest I've ever seen" after such an emergency.
Part of the highway was shut down as the sheriff's office waited for the Federal Aviation Administration to give permission to move the plane. Afterward, Lt. Arnold said a tow rope was attached to the aircraft and a firefighter used a personal vehicle to tow it to the side of the road.