A Colorado pilot says he was forced to make an emergency landing on a New Mexico highway after encountering mechanical issues.
The Gallup Independent reports that Montgomery Lee says he was on his way to Arizona with a friend Thursday when the plane's engine seized up.
Lee says he realized the airplane wouldn't make it to Gallup Airport and was able to land instead on an empty stretch of U.S. Highway 491, avoiding a potentially rocky field. He says the landing did not damage the plane or injure himself or his passenger.
Lee was able to pull off to the side of the road to avoid affecting traffic.
He says the Federal Aviation Administration is examining the engine to determine the cause of the mechanical failure.