Small plane in "experimental flight test" makes emergency landing in Wisconsin
UPDATE (Sept. 23, 2023) — The Federal Aviation Administration says engine issues led to the emergency landing, and the plane "clipped a mile marker sign."
BENNETT, Wis. — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a small plane made an emergency landing on Thursday afternoon on a northwestern Wisconsin highway.
Northern News Now reports the landing occurred at about 12:30 p.m. on Highway 53 in the town of Bennett, located about 30 miles southeast of Duluth, Minnesota.
The FAA says the Cirrus SR22, which is registered in Duluth, was in the midst of an "experimental flight test," but didn't say why the emergency landing near Solon Springs Airport was necessary.
The pilot was the only person on board and wasn't injured in the landing, according to FAA, and the plane didn't sustain any major damage.
The plane was built in Duluth by Cirrus Aircraft, which describes the SR22, first released in 2000, as "the world's best-selling general aviation airplane."
Last month, the FAA said a power failure in a similar Cirrus model occurred when a pilot advanced the power level to full throttle while trying to take off.
It's unclear where the incident happened, but the FAA says investigators found "cracks in 24 of the levers" in the plane. The FAA and Cirrus are jointly investigating.