A small airplane with engine trouble landed on Interstate 25 early Wednesday, fixed its problem on the side of the highway and flew off five hours later.
Pilot Jason Sossebee of Centennial told authorities that the plane lost power en route to Santa Fe from Jefferson County Airport. When he was unable to regain power, he put the plane down on the southbound lanes of I-25 south of Castle Rock about 8:45 a.m., said Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Cocha Heyden.
None of the three people on board was injured.
“They didn’t seem to be too shook up about it,” Heyden said.
Firefighters helped push the plane over a dirt median and across the southbound frontage road to a dirt pullout so it wouldn’t block traffic.
Master Trooper Ron Watkins of the State Patrol said: “The guy’s mechanic showed up on the scene. He ran some tests and determined it had a faulty fuel pump. He found one at Centennial (Airport) and had it brought to the scene and installed it.”
About 2 p.m. the 1961 Piper Comanche 250 four-place aircraft lifted off from I-25 to Jefferson County Airport, the trip to Santa Fe apparently postponed, Watkins said.
The incident caused only minor traffic problems.
Staff writer Jim Kirksey can be reached at 303-820-1448 or jkirksey@denverpost.com.
