[UPDATE BELOW] A small plane with some sort of official seal on its side made an emergency landing on Route 80 in Hackensack near exit 66 this afternoon. NJ.com reports Port Authority police and New Jersey state police are currently hoisting the single engine plane onto a flatbed truck. Part of the eastbound side of Route 80 where the plane landed is shut down. Police sources tell the Associated Press the single-engine plane was headed for Teterboro Airport but was forced to land on the highway due to a mechanical problem. No injuries have been reported thus far, so expect some "Miracle on the Highway" headlines tomorrow.
Update 4:05 p.m.:NJ.com now reports the plane is owned by the Department of Justice and was loaned to the Bergen County Prosecutors Office as “a cooperative lower-cost aviation asset for law enforcement.” The plane has the Bergen County seal on its tail. A fuel-line malfunction reportedly prevented it from returning to Teterboro Airport. Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli says, "The craft was operated by a certified flight instructor and flight safety officer who is a retired commercial airline pilot and currently assists the BCPO in its homeland security and safety efforts in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice, which owns the plane."
