A light plane—piloted by Armenian pilot and instructor Sevak Sargsyan—landed on the 23 Freeway in the US State of California on Monday evening backing up traffic for miles during rush hour.

Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, described the incident as a “precautionary landing.”

“We just had an engine problem,” said Sargsyan. “The engine was sputtering and we had to land.”

He was on a training flight at the time of the incident. 

The main concern, Sargsyan said, was the safety of everyone on the ground.

“I was looking for a spot where I could put the plane down,” he said.

The aircraft made a safe landing and no injuries reported.