Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Median of Polk Parkway
Apr. 16—LAKELAND — The pilot of a small airplane made an emergency landing Thursday in the median of the Polk Parkway.
The Cessna 182 Skylane aircraft stopped pointed east in the grass between lanes of traffic on the four-lane toll road. The pilot and passenger sustained no injuries, the Lakeland Police officials reported, and the plane avoided vehicles.
The plane landed less than a mile east of the Airport Road exit, not far from the Publix Super Markets headquarters. LPD officers and Polk County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene.
Eastbound lanes of the Polk Parkway remained open as of 1 p.m., but LPD said the lanes would soon be closed so that the plane could be loaded onto a trailer and removed.
The plane landed about a mile from Lakeland Linder International Airport, where the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo is taking place. It was not immediately clear whether the plane had taken off from Lakeland Linder.
LPD did not release information about the pilot or passenger.
Gary White can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.
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