Small plane crash lands on I-355 in New Lenox area due to ‘unknown engine problem’

A small plane crash landed on Interstate 355 in the New Lenox area Thursday morning due to an “unknown engine problem,” according to the Illinois State Police.

The pilot, Jason Bufton, 39, and his passengers, Paige Bufton, 20, Kirstyn McKim, 21, and a 15-year-old female, all of Wilmington, were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, state police said in statement released after the crash.

Shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, troopers with Illinois State Police District 15 responded to a report of a small airplane crash at milepost 1.25 on Interstate 355 near Route 6 in the New Lenox area, police said.

The 1975 Beech airplane was “flying south when the aircraft began to experience an unknown engine problem,” police said. They described that Jason Bufton then made an emergency landing on the interstate, causing damage to the front end and the left wing of the aircraft.

About 11:18 a.m., the left two southbound lanes on I-355 were shut down for the investigation and removal of the airplane, police said. All lanes were reopened about 3:30 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the incident.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory provided The Herald-News preliminary information that said the airplane had four people aboard and it made an emergency landing on I-355 about 11 a.m. Thursday.

“The FAA will investigate,” Cory said.

Cory said investigators were gathering information on the plane’s fight plan.

According to the website FlightAware, the plane took off from Lewis University Airport at 11:11 a.m. and was last seen at 11:16 a.m. near Chicago or Romeoville.

FlightAware’s activity log for the plane said it left Bolingbrook’s Clow International Airport at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday and landed at Lewis University at 12:20 p.m. the same day.

FAA records show the plane is registered to Nicholas “Tony” Benedetti of Chicago and Duane Hummell is listed as another owner of the plane.

Benedetti told the Herald-News he was “very aware” of the incident but he did not know what caused problems with the plane. He said Jason Bufton is a member of a flying club.

“I’m not obliged to comment at this time as we don’t have any information ourselves as owners,” Benedetti said.