Crime & Safety
Pilot Lands Same Plane on Sunrise Highway For Second Time in a Week
More engine trouble forces single-engine plane to land on highway again, police say.
A week ago, Frank Fierro was forced to land his single-engine plane on Sunrise Highway after experiencing engine trouble.
On Friday afternoon, Fierro, 75, took the ultralight Challenger plane back to the air for the first time, but more engine trouble after taking off from Lufker/Spadaro Airport once again forced him to put the plane down on Sunrise Highway in East Moriches, police said.
Fierro, who is from Lake Ronkonkoma according to FAA records, landed the plane safely on the eastbound side of the highway at about 12:50 p.m. and he was able to move the plane to the right shoulder, police said.
Suffolk Police Highway Patrol and Seventh Precinct officers assisted airport personnel to tow the plane back to the East Moriches airport. There were no injuries reported.
Fierro told NBC 4 that a burnt fuse caused the homemade plane to stall on both occasions.
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