Small plane makes emergency landing on Major Deegan Expressway in Bronx

A single-engine Piper PA-28 plane has made an emergency landing on the Major Deegan Expressway in The Bronx.

The small plane touched down on the interstate highway on Saturday afternoon after maintenance workers repairing potholes stopped traffic to leave the road clear.

None of the three on board suffered serious injury, local media say.

They say investigators are looking into the cause of the emergency – possibly a mechanical failure or fuel shortage.

The plane had taken off from the city of Danbury in Connecticut for a flight around the Statue of Liberty, according to officials.

It was said to be on its way back when it experienced engine problems.

A team of New York City Department of Transportation workers, who were mending potholes in the carriageway, stopped traffic after noticing the plane in distress, clearing the road for the emergency landing, a spokesman for the department said.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was “a bit of a miracle” that nobody was seriously hurt or killed, the Associated Press reported.

Bill de Blasio added that emergency workers were removing the plane’s fuel and there was no fire or gas leak.

Photos taken by bystanders showed blue and white plane largely intact, although its landing gear appeared to have collapsed.