Plane with Nazi paint job lands on US highway
Small aircraft painted to look like German World War II-era Messerschmitt BF 109 is used for stunts in air shows
A small plane, painted to look like a World War II-era Nazi plane, made an emergency landing on a US highway on Monday.
Only the pilot was on the plane when it touched down in Gwinnett County, north-east of Atlanta, Georgia.
The two-seater plane was liveried to look like a German Messerschmitt BF 109, complete with a swastika on the tail. The pilot, Fred Meyer, told 11 Alive news station that the plane was painted like that because it “is used for stunts at air shows.”
Local media reports said that the pilot landed after experiencing engine failure. The plane landed safely and there were no injuries.
The aircraft (w/ WWII-era markings) is on a trailer being escorted back to Briscoe Field. pic.twitter.com/c5p4jW6d4u
— Gwinnett County Police (@GwinnettPd) July 24, 2017
A small aircraft safely landed on 316 near Harbins Road. It was pulled into the median awaiting FAA response. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/D8DZLj3Rm2
— Gwinnett County Police (@GwinnettPd) July 24, 2017
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as that the plane was a “Sonex experimental, amateur-built aircraft.”
Sonex manufacture kit-set airplanes.
This pilot safely landed a small lane on HWY 316 after engine failed on him. He's ok, he didn't hurt anyone, & he's making jokes. Story 4pm pic.twitter.com/REfJ1PuVHn
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) July 24, 2017
Kelsey D. Atherton, a defense technology writer for Popular Science tweeted that despite the paint, the plane looked different from the model it was ostensibly imitating.
“Going for historical accuracy in the paint is an odd defense when the plane it’s trying to mimic looks way different,” he tweeted.”
https://twitter.com/AthertonKD/status/889552875210194944
