4 die in small plane crash on US highway

Atlanta, May 9: A small plane crashed on one of the busiest highways in Atlanta, killing four people, authorities said.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the single-engine Piper PA-32 crashed onto Interstate 285, on Friday morning, soon after takeoff from DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in the city of Chamblee, Atlanta.

"Hey, we're going down," the pilot told the control tower just before the crash, according to local media.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said that officials believe the four fatalities were all occupants of the aircraft.

The accident led authorities to close the I-285 in both directions at the point where the crash occurred, while they removed pieces of the shattered plane from the area.

"It's a miracle, literally a miracle, that no cars were hit," DeKalb County Fire Captain Eric Jackson said.

IANS