Atlanta Highway Plane Landing Blocks 4 Lanes Of Traffic As Rush Hour Begins (VIDEO)
ATLANTA — Authorities say a small plane made a smooth emergency landing without hitting any cars on a busy stretch of Interstate 85 in northeast Atlanta just as the city's evening rush hour began.
Television shots showed traffic snarled for miles as the Piper Saratoga blocked at least four lanes of traffic about 5 p.m. Monday. It was hauled away a couple hours later.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said no injuries were reported.
The plane landed on a southbound stretch of the interstate a few miles from Peachtree DeKalb Airport, where it was headed.
The pilot, identified as Matt Conway by WSB-TV, told the station that mechanical problems forced him to land.
Atlanta Airport
Atlanta Airport, Governor-elect Nathan Deal canceled all around its opening ceremonies tomorrow because of the time scheduled during the winter. (Photo by Susanna Capelouto)
Storm warnings of winter in the South are causing flight cancellations and longer lines at grocery stores in the Atlanta area. Several inches of snow forecast to fall overnight also affect the plans for the inauguration of the new governor of Georgia.
Hundreds of flights in and out of the Atlanta airport have been canceled in anticipation of the storm, which should make the conditions of snow and ice.
Grocery stores have good business people provisions of bread and batteries. And former member of Congress and the Republican governor elected Nathan Deal is scaling back the celebration of his inauguration
We will limit activities on Monday to all activities necessary to the inauguration itself. We cancel all other ceremonies.
These include a prayer service the morning and the Inaugural Ball in the evening. Deal is asking people to stay home and watch his inauguration afternoon on television instead.
US Airways: No flights landing in Charlotte
UPDATE FROM WCNC: US Airways says that no flights will land at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport until later this afternoon because of ice.
US Airways released this statement: "We have made the decision to cease all arrivals into Charlotte today until early afternoon due to icy ramp conditions, and limited ramp space to receive additional flights. Flights are departing on a limited basis."
As of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, 180 US Airways flights had been canceled.
The airline says that passengers who reschedule flights can do so without incurring a fee.
Air travel troubles continued Tuesday morning at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, with passengers facing another day of flight cancellations.
Hundreds of stranded passengers slept overnight at the airport, according to WCNC-TV, the Observer's news partner.
The flight cancellations, which started Sunday when the strong winter storm approached Atlanta, continue for the third straight day. More than 200 flights -- departures and arrivals -- have been cancelled Tuesday morning at Charlotte's airport.
The first flight to take off Tuesday from Charlotte was shortly before 7 a.m., when a Delta jet left for New York City. But only three of 16 departures between 6 and 7 a.m. were not cancelled. About two-thirds of scheduled departures from 7 to 10 a.m. also have been scrubbed.
And only two of about 20 flights scheduled to take off between 10 and 11 a.m. have not been cancelled.
Airport director Jerry Orr told reporters Tuesday morning that he expects more flights to leave and depart by midday.
Security Checkpoint A was closed Tuesday morning at Charlotte-Douglas International. WCNC-TV, the Observer's news partner, reported that not enough Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers could reach the airport to open the checkpoint.
It made little difference, however, as the number of cancellations greatly reduced the lines at security.
The Federal Aviation Administration said delays are excessive this morning in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Atlanta.
Today's problems are much the same as those of Monday.
The storm caused thousands of cancellations at Hartsfield/Jackson Atlanta International and other airports in North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
US Airways, meanwhile, is waiving its change-fee policy for travelers affected by the storm, spokeswoman Liz Landau said. Anyone whose trip was canceled can rebook online at no charge, except for some international flights, Landau said.
Air Tran Airways has canceled all its flights Monday into and out of its Atlanta hub. The rest of its national network continues to operate as normal, the airline said.
US Airways ran out of its supply of de-icing compound late Monday night, but an additional shipment was expected early Tuesday morning. Company officials said they do not expect that problem to cause flight cancellations.
