A small plane crashed and caught fire on U.S. Highway 95 northwest of Las Vegas early Wednesday, forcing authorities to close the highway for several hours, officials said.
The single-engine plane struck a highway median west of Indian Springs near Mercury, Department of Transportation spokeswoman Adrienne Packer said. The pilot walked away from the crash and the plane caught on fire.
The Lancair IV plane landed on the highway at about 9:10 a.m., according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. Only the pilot was on board and no injuries were reported.
The Nye County Sheriff’s Office posted on Twitter that deputies had responded to a “downed aircraft.” The crash happened in Nye County, just beyond the Clark County border. Pictures from the sheriff’s office showed smoke billowing from the site.
Downed Aircraft https://t.co/mL2VXXDLyy pic.twitter.com/64vXIhrUFK
— Nye County Sheriff (@NyeSheriff) July 28, 2021
The highway was closed in both directions from Mercury to the Clark County line for several hours, Packer said. It was partially reopened with traffic reduced to one lane in each direction by about 11:30 a.m.
The pilot declined medical attention, the sheriff’s office said.
#BREAKING: we are aware of small aircraft that is reportedly down north of Creech AFB, US95 at MM 8. No injuries reported as of now. @NHPSouthernComm is on scene and we are on the way. US 95 is shutdown in both directions. Expect delays and watch for emergency vehicles. pic.twitter.com/CcwAFQ1ysK
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) July 28, 2021
Further information was not immediately available.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.