Emergency crews responded Friday night after a small plane made an emergency landing in a field near Hunt Highway and State Route 87 in the Sun Lakes area southeast of Phoenix. Authorities said the pilot was able to walk away unharmed following the incident.

According to officials, the aircraft went down sometime before 9 p.m. near SR 87 and Hunt Highway on land belonging to the Gila River Indian Community. Firefighters and law enforcement quickly responded to the scene after reports that a plane had landed in an open field rather than reaching an airport safely.

The Gila River Police Department confirmed that only one person was onboard the aircraft at the time of the emergency landing. Authorities said the pilot did not suffer any injuries during the incident despite the plane going down outside a designated runway area.

Officials have not yet determined what caused the pilot to make the emergency landing. Early reports indicated the aircraft may have experienced some type of issue that prevented it from reaching an airport safely, though investigators have not publicly confirmed the nature of the problem.

Traffic in the area was also affected following the incident. Hunt Highway was temporarily shut down for nearly an hour while emergency crews worked at the scene and ensured the area was safe. The roadway has since reopened to drivers.

Arizona’s Family reported that its news helicopter responded to the scene after the emergency landing, but darkness made it difficult to clearly see where the aircraft had come to rest in the field.

The incident happened just hours after another emergency aircraft landing occurred in Arizona involving a separate pilot who was forced to land on a Tucson-area street earlier the same day.

Authorities continue investigating the Sun Lakes incident, and additional information about the aircraft and the cause of the emergency landing has not yet been released publicly.

Source: ABC15 Arizona