KLAS

‘We’re declaring an emergency,’ Recording captures the moment a small plane landed on a Las Vegas freeway

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It took less than three minutes for a small plane’s pilot to declare an emergency and land his plane on US-95 in the northwest part of the Las Vegas valley.

The pilot of the small plane, a 2003 Diamond DA20 Katana, was flying in the area northwest of Centennial Hills early Sunday morning around 7:30 when, according to air traffic control (ATC) radio traffic, he told the North Las Vegas tower, he was having “imminent” engine problems and might need to land on the highway.

“North Las Vegas tower … pretty much over the golf course,” the pilot radioed. “We’re declaring an emergency. I think we have an imminent engine problem. We’re going to start making our way toward the airfield, but we may end up sitting down on the 95.”

In less than three minutes that’s exactly what the pilot did, landing safely on the northbound lanes of US-95 just north of the Kyle Canyon exit.

According to a pilot of a different plane watching the emergency landing, the troubled plane was quickly moved off the highway.

Nevada Highway Patrol officials confirmed the aircraft was low on fuel and had to make the emergency landing. Officials from NHP added that the pilot landed the plane safely and that there were no reported injuries.

At 7:41 a.m. on Sunday, officials from the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada said that all lanes had been reopened on US-95.

8 News Now reached out to the aircraft owner and the pilot but is awaiting a response.