A small passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a highway in northern Virginia on Friday afternoon, shortly after taking off from Washington Dulles International Airport. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, authorities have confirmed.

Virginia State Police received a call just before 1 p.m. notifying them about a small aircraft making an emergency landing on Loudoun County Parkway, according to a news release. The plane successfully touched down on the westbound lanes of the parkway, only a few miles away from the airport.

Remarkably, no vehicles were affected by the unplanned landing, and the only damage reported was to a guardrail located at the edge of the road, the police mentioned.

The airport authorities stated that they were informed about the abrupt landing of Southern Airways Express flight 246, which had departed from Dulles. The plane ultimately landed on a nearby roadway outside the airport premises, as confirmed by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson James Johnson via email. Despite the incident, the airport will continue its regular operations without disruptions, Johnson added.

Flight records indicate that a Southern Airways Express plane was scheduled to depart Dulles for Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at 12:45 p.m. The plane involved in the emergency landing was identified as a single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan, capable of carrying up to nine passengers. There were a total of seven people on board, including five passengers and two crew members, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The pilot, identified as 27-year-old Ahmed Awais from Florida, skillfully maneuvered the plane to safety, avoiding any accidents during the landing. The passengers on board comprised of four adults and a 15-year-old boy, as confirmed by Virginia State Police.

In a statement issued by the CEO of Southern Airways Express, Stan Little, he expressed relief and gratitude that there were no injuries reported among the passengers and crew. Little commended the pilots for their quick actions, prioritizing the safety of everyone on board. The airline will be collaborating closely with the authorities in conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

Southern Airways Express, established in 2013 and headquartered in Palm Beach, Florida, is a regional airline that operates in 40 cities across the United States, spanning from Nantucket Island in Massachusetts to Honolulu, as stated on their website. Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation to determine the cause of the emergency landing.

As the authorities continue their probe, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of trained pilots and emergency protocols, ensuring the safety of air travel even in challenging situations.