In a dramatic turn of events, a small passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a Virginia highway after taking off from Washington Dulles International Airport. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon, with Southern Airways Express Flight 246 touching down on Loudoun County Parkway at approximately 12:50 p.m. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the landing was a "hard landing" and that the aircraft collided with a guardrail during the chaotic touchdown.

Thankfully, all seven people on board, including a 15-year-old boy, escaped unharmed, and no vehicles on the roadway were struck. The airline expressed relief at the lack of injuries, with Southern Airways Express CEO Stan Little stating, "We are thankful to our pilots, who did exactly what they were trained to do - to put the safety of our passengers first."

Authorities have not disclosed the reason behind the emergency landing, but the area was experiencing snowy conditions at the time. The flight was scheduled to depart Dulles for Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at 12:45 p.m. According to FlightAware data, the plane departed the airport and landed just two minutes into its trip.

The emergency landing caused significant disruption, as the plane came to rest on the westbound lanes of the roadway, blocking traffic for several hours. The Virginia Department of Transportation shared incredible footage of a tow truck slowly pulling the single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan off the highway, surrounded by the flashing lights of numerous emergency vehicles.

The pilot, identified as 27-year-old Ahmed Awais, a Florida resident, was accompanied by a second crew member and four adult passengers, in addition to the teenage passenger. Virginia State Police and the FAA will be investigating the incident to determine the cause of the emergency landing.

The incident drew attention from the media, with news outlets reporting on the event. According to Virginia State Police, they received a call just before 1 p.m. about a small aircraft making an emergency landing on Loudoun County Parkway, only a few miles away from the airport. Police confirmed that no vehicles were struck during the landing, and the only damage occurred to a guardrail on the edge of the road.

The airport, meanwhile, confirmed that it had received reports of the departed aircraft making an off-airport landing on a nearby roadway. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson James Johnson stated that Dulles Airport remained open for takeoffs and landings despite the incident.

FlightAware data revealed that Southern Airways Express Flight 246 was scheduled to depart Dulles for Lancaster, Pennsylvania, at 12:45 p.m. The single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan was carrying a total of seven people, including five passengers and two crew members.

Southern Airways Express, a commuter airline founded in 2013 and based in Palm Beach, Florida, serves 40 cities across the United States. The airline's website states that its destinations range from Nantucket Island in Massachusetts to Honolulu.

The Virginia Department of Transportation shared news of the emergency landing on social media, stating that a small commuter plane had landed on a Virginia roadway. The FAA confirmed that the single-engine Cessna 208 Caravan made a "hard landing" and announced that an investigation would be conducted.

The incident caused significant disruption, with the plane blocking all lanes of the Loudoun County Parkway at Arcola Mills Drive. Virginia State Police responded to the scene and confirmed that no injuries had been reported. Dulles Airport issued a statement acknowledging the emergency landing and stating that responders from Loudoun County were managing the scene.

Details from FlightAware indicated that the Cessna Caravan operated by Southern Airways Express only climbed approximately 800 feet for about two minutes before landing on the roadway. CNN reached out to Southern Airways Express for comment, but no official word has been released regarding the condition of those on board.

A Virginia Department of Transportation traffic camera captured the intact plane sitting on the roadway, surrounded by emergency vehicles. The incident has sparked interest and concern, with authorities and aviation experts working to determine the cause of the emergency landing.