Engine failure forces pilot of small plane to make emergency landing on B.C. highway: police - Action News
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British Columbia

Engine failure forces pilot of small plane to make emergency landing on B.C. highway: police

Police say the pilot of a small plane used Highway 6 near Salmo, B.C., as a runway after experiencing engine trouble.

The plane had been pulled over to the side of the highway near Salmo, B.C., without blocking traffic: RCMP

A small blue and white plane lies on a road, with two people standing nearby.
The pilot of a small plane had to perform an emergency landing on Highway 6 in the southern Interior of B.C. after an engine failure. (Submitted by Jamie McGivern )

Mounties in southeastern British Columbia say the pilot of a small plane used Highway 6 as a runway after experiencing engine trouble.

Police saida member of the public informed them on Tuesday morning that the plane was parked on the side of the highway, near Salmo.

When highway patrol arrived, RCMP said, the officer found a 1969 single-engine aircraftpulled off to the side.

Police saidthe pilot was nearby and told the officer that the aircraft suffered "catastrophic engine failure."

A small plane lies on the side of a road, with police vehicles alongside it.
Police say Nav Canada has been notified of the incident and the plane has been towed. (Submitted by Jamie McGivern)

RCMP saidthe pilot made the decision to try for an emergency landing on the highway.

While the plane's engine was notably damaged, police say the rest of the plane was undamaged and the pilot unharmed.

Cpl. James Grandy, media relations officer with the RCMP, said the plane looked like it was just pulled off to the side and was not blocking or impeding traffic.

"I think he probably made a pretty good decision to land it when there wasn't much traffic coming at the time," Grandy said on CBC's Daybreak South.

He said the plane was later towed and officers havenotified Nav Canada, the organization that regulates and monitors air traffic in Canada.

"I don't think it would go under a motor vehicle infraction," said Grandy.

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story described the plane as a 1969 Lake Capithian single-engine plane. The story has been updated with the correct description.
    Sep 14, 2023 4:00 PM PT

With files from Radio West