A pilot is safe after he was forced to land his plane on Interstate 17 southbound Wednesday evening near Sunset Point.

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, they received a call around 5:40 p.m. from Phoenix Sky Harbor Air Traffic Control about a plane experiencing engine malfunction.

The plane was traveling from St. George, Utah, to Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport.

Air traffic control informed DPS that the plane was going to attempt an emergency landing in the southbound direction of I-17 around 5:40 p.m.

The single-engine Cessna 172, was forced to land in a pull-out area on the shoulder along the highway. The plane did not appear to be damaged after the landing. The FAA says the pilot was the only person on board and had no injuries in the incident.

Shortly after, DPS troopers arrived at the scene to find the Cessna 172 aircraft parked on the right shoulder of the highway. No lanes of I-17 were blocked as a result of the landing and miraculously no traffic was on that portion of the highway at the time of the emergency landing

Sunset Point is approximately 60 miles from Phoenix.

Aviation officials will continue their investigation.