The single-engine Piper made a successful landing on the parkway without hitting any traffic, touching down in an eastbound lane just outside the airport near Interstate 540. The pilot, 23-year-old Daniel Bowers, was not injured.
Aviation Parkway was closed and traffic diverted onto Interstate 40 until the plane could be towed back to the airport.
According to RDU officials, Bowers realized he was losing oil pressure after taking off from RDU. The airport's control tower told him to come back around and land, but he had to land sooner.
The plane is registered in Concord, which is where it was headed. Bowers was transporting canceled checks for a company called Package Express.
The emergency landing marked the second incident at RDU in less than a week. Last Friday, a Navy Jet that was taking off after refueling burst into flames before leaving the ground. The pilot safely ejected as the F-18 careened down a runway before coming to a halt about 250 yards from Terminal A.
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