Drunk Pilot Forced To Land On Highway After He Ran Out Of Fuel

A man piloting a small, single-engine plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Interstate 70 in Missouri early Friday (July 15) morning after running out of fuel.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said that the pilot radioed that he was running out of fuel and had to put the plane down on the western lanes of the highway. He set the plane down around 2:30 a.m. and struck a guardrail before coming to a stop.

When officers arrived, they determined that the pilot, 35-year-old John Seesing, was intoxicated. He suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Seesing was arrested and is facing multiple charges, including operating a vehicle while intoxicated, felony possession of a controlled substance, felony unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to flight records reviewed by KMOV, the Piper Cherokee craft made several flights in the 24 hours leading up to the crash. It departed from Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City early Thursday morning and flew to Daytona Beach, Florida, making stops in Mississippi and Alabama.

The plane then began its journey back to Kansas City, making stops in Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri.