HAD HE BEEN SOBER, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CRASHED INSTEAD OF LANDING THE PLANE

STRANGEST DWI EVER! Student pilot lands small plane on highway, arrested for 'flying drunk'

A 35-year-old pilot, who was flying solo, landed his single-engine Piper Cherokee about 2:45 am on Interstate 70 

 

By Adaa Bhardwaj 

 

 

meaww   

Jul 16, 2022

 

 

 

Student pilot who ran out of gas and landed plane on Missouri highway is accused of DWI. It took around three hours to clear the interstate, allowing the morning traffic to go unhindered 

 

 

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: A pilot who landed his plane on a Missouri highway on the morning of July 15 after running out of fuel was arrested for allegedly flying while intoxicated. Authorities determined that the plane had run out of fuel when the pilot radioed in and made the emergency landing. 

 

The pilot, identified by authorities as 35-year-old John Seesing, was arrested after he was "found to be intoxicated," Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Sgt. Andy Bell, a public information officer for Missouri State Highway Patrol, said troopers suspected impairment by a combination of alcohol and drugs. According to Kansas City Police, Seesing has been charged with 'DWI (Driving While Intoxicated), careless and imprudent actions that involved a crash, felony possession of a controlled substance, felony unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of fewer than 10 grams of marijuana and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia'. Seesing has a 'student pilot certificate'. He was the only one on board the private plane. He made an emergency landing on West-bound Interstate 70, near Oak Grove. His plane hit a guardrail, but no one was harmed.  

It took around three hours for the authorities to clear the route and remove the aircraft. The incident did not hamper the morning traffic. As per reports, the plane landed at around 2.45 am, and the highway was cleared by 5.30 am. This not-so-Sully landing drew public accounts of being "shocked" at witnessing the strange sight of a plane in the middle of a highway.

 

Apparently, the pilot had almost "clipped a smaller truck" and missed a 20-foot-fall had he not landed the way he did. He was around 20 miles from his landing site and had radioed his descent, stating the reason as well. As a pilot with just a student license, he was not allowed to carry any passengers onboard the aircraft.

 

The pilot, a Prarie Village resident, has committed several traffic violations, thanks to his unorthodox landing. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also tweeted a long thread of tweets about the incident. "Interstate 70 (westbound lanes) BLOCKED by an AIRCRAFT! An initial report is a small plane landing on the highway for an unknown reason. The pilot was the only person onboard w/ minor injuries. NO vehicles were hit! @MoDOT_KC is responding due to lane closure. Expect delays."

 

"The affected area is within Jackson County near Grain Valley by the 26-mile marker. The morning commute could be impacted as crews work to remove the aircraft. Monitor @MoDOT_KC for possible traffic updates."

"The plane had run out of fuel! The pilot communicated via radio and made an emergency landing. There was a minor collision w/ a guardrail. The pilot was found to be intoxicated & arrested. He was released to a local hospital for treatment of minor injury. Assisted by the FFA."