A small private plane crash-landed on Interstate 80 in Storey County, Nevada, on Thursday morning, October 22, forcing authorities to close all westbound lanes of the busy Reno-to-California highway, the Storey County Sheriff's Office said. No injuries were reported, and the pilot — the only person on board — was unharmed.

Source: KRNV News 4 (NBC Reno)

The aircraft, a fixed-wing single-engine Seawind 3000, departed Reno at 7:42 a.m. and touched down on the freeway at about 7:49 a.m. near mile marker 28 by Patrick, close to USA Parkway, according to local outlet KRNV News 4 and reporting carried by the New York Post. Deputies secured the aircraft on the roadway while crews worked to clear the scene.

Source: New York Post via AeroHaber

7:49 a.m.when the plane came down on I-80
7 minutesbetween takeoff from Reno and the landing
0injuries reported

The Nevada Department of Transportation urged drivers to avoid the area, and officials directed westbound traffic to use southbound USA Parkway as an alternate route. No estimated reopening time was given while the closure remained in effect, and traffic backed up during the morning commute east of Reno.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were responding to investigate, according to the reports. Authorities had not released any information about why the pilot brought the plane down on the highway, and the cause remains under investigation.