Plane lands on freeway median — no injuries

Motorists on Highway 101 were in for a surprise Sunday when a small plane pierced the blue skies and made an emergency landing in the middle of the road in Morgan Hill.

The single-engine Piper PA-46 landed on a grassy strip dividing Highway 101 just after 11 a.m. near San Martin Airport in Santa Clara County after reporting engine failure, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The pilot, who was not identified, was the only person on the flight, Gregor said.

No injuries were reported, and there was no damage to the plane, Gregor said.

The bizarre sight of the plane stopped in the middle of the highway was jolting for many passing motorists, including Joshua Miller, who stopped to take photos.

Miller, 21, of Orange, had just had breakfast with his parents in Hollister (San Benito County), and they were driving to San Francisco to scout apartments.

“There was traffic backed up for miles in both the northbound and southbound lanes. My parents and I were all wondering what could be happening,” Miller said.

When they finally inched up to a point where the plane came into view, flanked by police cars and fire trucks, Miller said, he could barely contain his surprise.

“I was like, wow, you don’t see that every day,” he said. “I’m actually a photojournalism major, and I like to go out and look for breaking news stories, and this is by far the most intense thing I’ve seen.”

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani