Park City Airport?

Park City doesn’t have an airport, because it doesn’t need one. With Salt Lake City airport 35 miles away and Heber City’s just within 20 miles, that’s plenty to land a plane. Except of course when you’re flying a small passenger plane, that oil pressure drop to zero and that the only engine one has stops. 

This past Saturday, night had just fallen when Jackson Walker who was flying from Idaho Falls to Provo had no choice but land and made a safe landing with no damage to the aircraft or injuries to him and his passenger. 

Before that, Walker said he tried to re-start the engine on several occasions, but to no avail, so, he stayed over I-80 hoping to make it to the Heber City airport, but that didn’t work and he had to land on the freeway, near the Park City exit. 

The pilot, who had got his license in June flashed his landing lights to alert oncoming cars he was be landing on the freeway. A nearby driver, who happened to also be a pilot, noticed the plane coming down and alerted cars so they could slow down. 

Inside the plane, the pilot saw the maneuver and started swerving to slow down traffic to create more room, trying to maintain the same speed as traffic until he could bring the plane to a stop.

The Cessna was still parked, standing by the side of the road on Sunday morning when I drove to pick up my grandson for going skiing. What a wonderful set of skills as well as a great save. On top of that a stark reminder to look up, now and then when we drive, get a moon-roof, and see what's coming down upon us!