(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A small plane crashed on a busy highway in Colorado Springs near North Powers Boulevard and Barnes Road early Wednesday morning, turning the road into an emergency runway.

The incident occurred around 4:15 a.m. when the aircraft made an emergency landing on the southbound shoulder of the highway. Remarkably, everyone aboard the plane walked away unharmed.

“Thankfully, this morning, no serious injuries,” said Ira Cronin, Public Relations Manager for the Colorado Springs Police Department. “The FAA, the NTSB will respond. They’ll investigate. …We’ll leave that investigation to them.”

The investigation into the crash has been handed over to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), but it is currently on hold due to the government shutdown.

A flight instructor with 43 years of experience provided insight into the possible causes of the crash, noting that the pilot may have wasted 3,500 feet of runway during takeoff by departing from the middle of the runway instead of using its full length.

Public audio from the control tower confirmed that the pilot took off from the middle of the runway, which could have contributed to the incident.

Data from FlightAware.com indicated that the plane’s speed never exceeded 66 knots, which is below the normal climb speed of around 95 knots. The plane also did not climb above 6,600 feet, remaining less than 300 feet above the ground.

Despite these issues, both the flight instructor and officials agreed that the pilot made the right decision by landing on a straight section of the highway.

Once the NTSB and FAA complete their investigation, an official report on the crash is expected to be available within 90 days.

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