CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. -- A plane that made an emergency landing Monday on Interstate Highway 580 in the East Bay has been taken off the freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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Video On Demand: Traffic Plane Lands On Highway 580

The small aircraft, described as a Cessna 172 by Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Donn Walker, landed on westbound I-580 near the interchange with state Highway 238 shortly before 8:30 a.m.

Walker said the aircraft, which is registered to a man with a San Jose address named Daryl Vorne, "landed safely on I-580 three miles north of the Hayward Airport."

The plane departed from Hayward Executive Airport around 5 a.m. and was on its way back to the airport when a problem occurred, according to CHP Officer Steve Tress.

Forced to make an emergency landing, the pilot looked to the freeway. Tress said the pilot may have chosen a landing spot based on the fact that I-580 traffic is often lighter just west of the Highway 238 interchange than on other parts of the freeway.

The unexpected landing went smoothly, Tress said. "The pilot was able to land it safely in the lanes and maneuver it over to the right-hand shoulder."

No other vehicles were struck by the aircraft and no injuries were reported to either of the plane's two occupants. The Cessna itself was not even damaged in the ordeal, according to Tress.

Considering the fact that the landing occurred at the tail end of the commute hour, it is substantial that no one was hurt, Tress said. "Kudos to the pilot for being able to maneuver around the moderate traffic."

Throughout the morning, the freeway remained open, with traffic moving slowly through the area while motorists rubbernecked to get a better view of the out-of-place plane.

The aircraft has since been loaded onto a flatbed truck and transported back to the airport, where it will be inspected by FAA investigators.

The exact nature of the problem that prompted the landing remains under investigation, but Tress said both of the plane's fuel tanks were empty when it touched down.

FAA spokesman Walker said the cause remains under investigation and said he could not disclose further details on the incident.