Flying instructor lands small plane on road in Cary

A small plane carrying a student pilot and instructor made an emergency landing on Cary-Algonquin Road in Cary.

No one on the plane or on the ground was injured, authorities said.

A Cary officer saw the single-engine plane flying low about 8:15 a.m. and saw that its propeller had stopped, Deputy Chief Scott Naydenoff said in a news release.

Naydenoff said the 26-year-old instructor, who was flying with a 21-year-old student, was able to bring the plane down on the road without incident. No cars on the road were damaged, although the crash occurred during the morning rush.

The plane had taken off from DuPage Airport and was trying to land at Lake in the Hills Airport, police said.

Cary-Algonquin Road was closed for about 90 minutes between Cold Springs and Fox Trails Drive. The aircraft was towed to the parking lot of a nearby church.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, crew members still were at the scene working on the plane engine, Cary Police Chief Patrick Finlon said.

There still was a possibility that the road could close again briefly, either to allow the plane to take off again or to have enough room to tow the plane away because of the size of its wingspan, Finlon said.

An eyewitness, Kevin Hirt, said the pilot performed “a perfect landing” in the emergency.

Police said the National Transportation and Safety Board is investigating