GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (KCTV) – An intoxicated pilot who ran out of fuel made an emergency landing on Interstate 70 east of Grain Valley early Friday morning, without a vehicle collision and without injury. serious in the process, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Highway Patrol and local authorities were called at 2:34 a.m. to the westbound lanes of I-70, where a small plane made an emergency landing on the interstate. The pilot — the only person on board the plane — suffered minor injuries, according to the highway patrol.
I-70’s westbound lanes remained closed for hours after the incident. The plane was removed and the westbound lanes reopened shortly after 5am
Online flight records show the aircraft to be a single-engine Piper Cherokee owned by Warrior Aviation LC in Prairie Village, KS. It made several flights in the 24-hour period before making an emergency landing, traveling from Kansas City to Florida, and then back again.
The plane last took off near Warrensburg at 2:15 a.m. records show the flight lasted 19 minutes, with the plane landing on interstate at 2:34 a.m.
The radio pilot said he ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing on the interstate. The plane had a minor collision with a handrail during landing, but nothing happened.
Highway Patrol said the pilot was found intoxicated. He was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and was arrested.
Flight records show the train took off from Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City at 3 a.m. Thursday and flew to Daytona Beach, FL, with short stops in Mississippi and Alabama en route. It then turned and headed back to Kansas City, stopping at Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Warrensburg, MO.
Highway patrol arrest records later identified the pilot as John Seesing, 35, of Prairie Village. He is facing charges of driving a vehicle while intoxicated, felony possession of a controlled substance, felony possession of a weapon, possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a drug paraphernalia.
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