A 50-year-old man and two women, aged 43 and 20, emerged from the fixed-wing Piper PA28 Cherokee that lost power just after 3:20 p.m. with only one minor injury between them, according to authorities and a police source.
The plane had departed Danbury Airport in Connecticut for a loop around the Statue of Liberty, Mayor de Blasio said.
On the way back the aircraft lost power, forcing the pilot to make the stellar landing in the middle lane of the northbound side of the expressway, avoiding all cars, authorities said.
"It is amazing," said Giovanna Schwartz, the wife of hero pilot Michael Schwartz.
"I'm just thankful he learned how to land well," the relieved wife told the Daily News from their South Salem, N.Y., home
Air traffic controllers had attempted to divert the plane to LaGuardia Airport but lost contact.
"When you hear a call like that, it causes a lot of puckering," said a Port Authority source. "That means a plane has crashed or there's a fire on the airplane. That's the 'Oh s--t' call."
"It's flying low! It's low!" Paul, 25, recalled his friend exclaiming. "The propeller wasn't moving, and it went down right over us. It was gliding, he was trying to make a safe landing." The plane, built in 1966, landed behind Paul near the E. 233rd St. exit - exit 13 - in the Bronx. De Blasio was stunned no one died. "The situation was a bit of a miracle," he said at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn.
Credit for the safe landing goes in large part to Department of Transportation worker Miguel Lopez, who was part of a pothole crew working on the Deegan when he saw the plane making its precipitous descent.
The quick-thinking Lopez stopped traffic giving the plane an empty runway, FDNY officials said.
"I thought I'd seen everything in my life...it's truly an extraordinary event." The plane belongs to Michael Schwartz of South Salem, N.Y., according to registration documents. The aircraft was officially registered in his name in July of last year.
Photos from the scene showed the aircraft's landing gear buckled on the expressway - but the plane intact. A police source said the emergency landing was not fuel-related. Fire officials said the plane hit some tree branches on the way down and leaked some fuel.
One female passenger suffered head injuries not believed to be life threatening, authorities said. All three were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital. Radio traffic from first responders hinted at the mind-boggling scene.
"It's upright! It's in one piece! Looks to be a solid landing!" said one incredulous responder as she arrived on the scene.
The plane belongs to Michael Schwartz of South Salem, N.Y., according to records. Efforts to reach him were to no avail. Federal Aviation Administration records list him as a student pilot as of April of last year. A police source said Saturday that the pilot at the controls had a full license.
The aircraft was officially registered in his name in July 2012. His relieved wife called the outcome "amazing."
Additional source attribution: Clare Trapasso, Rocco Parascandola, Annie Karni and Natalie Musumeci
It is a crash landing.
A pilot should practice forced landings a least one every two weeks or more. had this pilot done so he could have bought the plane down without damage to the undercarriage.
As the plane suffered damage it surely should be considered a crash and not a forced landing.
I would like very much to know why this has happened, as aircraft very rarely (and I mean very) loose power for seemingly an unknown reason.