Small plane lands on I-78 in Weisenberg Township, closing eastbound lanes

WEISENBERG TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A small single-engine aircraft made an unscheduled landing Saturday morning on Interstate 78 in Weisenberg Township, Lehigh County, shutting down the eastbound lanes near the West Hills Business Center and prompting an emergency response, according to flight tracking data.

The plane — a Commander 114B registered as N114KJ, according to ADS-B Exchange tracking data — touched down on the eastbound roadway near mile marker 45, west of the PA-863 interchange. No injuries or damage had been reported as of Saturday afternoon.

Pennsylvania State Police and emergency responders were at the scene. A Pennsylvania State Police communications officer said no statement had been issued and described the situation as “kind of chaotic right now.”

Flight tracking data showed the aircraft departed from Solberg-Hunterdon Airport in Readington Township, N.J., before the incident. At the time of its last recorded position, the plane was traveling at 43 knots at a barometric altitude of 400 feet, with a descent rate of 768 feet per minute, according to ADS-B Exchange data.

Flight tracking data placed the aircraft in the area at approximately 9:18 a.m., based on its last recorded ADS-B position.

The Commander 114B is a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear, originally produced by North American Rockwell and later by Commander Aircraft Company.

Eastbound I-78 remained closed near the West Hills Business Center, an industrial park along the I-78 corridor at Exit 45. Drivers were advised to seek alternate routes.

The cause of the landing was not immediately known. The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a statement, and the National Transportation Safety Board could not immediately be reached for comment.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as information becomes available.