Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Interstate 35W in Twin Cities

Here’s something you don’t see everyday, or really, ever at all: a small plane, making an emergency landing on I-35W in the Twin Cities suburb of Arden Hills.

Video from the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows the plane narrowly missing two vehicles as it lands just in front of them before striking an SUV while skidding to a stop.

The pilot of the single-engine Bellanca Viking plane has been identified as an award-winning member of the U.S. Aerobatics Flying Team. He is 52-year-old Craig Gifford, a Minneapolis resident and competititve aerobatic pilot. Gifford represented the United States in international competition in 2017 and 2019 on the Unlimited Aerobatic Team.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation and Safety Board are investigating.