(Lander, WY) – Firefighters, law enforcement and EMS responded to a plane that made an emergency landing on US-287/WY-789 Friday evening closing the section of highway between Rawlins Junction and Sweetwater Station at around 9:30 pm.
The plane sustained minor damage and fortunately, the pilot was uninjured, according to Lander Rural Fire Department Public Information Officer Nick Johnson.
The initial dispatch was for the Lander City Fire Department to respond to Lander’s Hunt Field for an incoming aircraft that was reporting no oil pressure.
The call was then upgraded to include Lander Rural when an engine fire was reported near Twin Creek southeast of Lander. The pilot managed to land the plane on US-287/WY-789 near the Twin Creek Bridge.
Around 20 firefighters combined from both Lander City and Lander Rural responded to the incident, Johnson shared. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and Frontier Ambulance also responded and provided assistance.
The section of highway reopened around 11 pm last night, however, the investigation is still ongoing with the FAA and the WHP. Continue to use caution if traveling in the area.