Plane lands on B.C. highway after ‘catastrophic’ engine failure: RCMP

A small plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a Kootenay-area highway Tuesday morning, the RCMP says.

According to police, a BC Highway Patrol officer arrived to the scene on Highway 6 near Salmo around 9 a.m. to find a 1969 Lake Capithian single engine aircraft “pulled off to the side” of road.

“Close by was the pilot and the pilot was uninjured. He basically told the officer that, while flying in the area, his engine had, what he said, was a catastrophic engine failure and he needed to conduct an emergency landing,” explained Corp. James Grandy with the RCMP Southeast District detachment.

“Seeing that stretch of highway beneath him, he figured it was safe and necessary to do so. Ultimately he was able to land the plane successfully with no harm to himself and minimal damage to the airplane as well.”

Grandy says the highway was not closed to traffic.

“It’s my understanding that he landed the plane quite quickly. Seeing that it was safe to do so, he was successful in landing it along the highway. Once he got it slowed down and stopped, he was able to maneuver it somehow to the side of the road as well, in which case even traffic wasn’t disrupted,” he added.

It’s unclear what exactly caused the engine failure, though the RCMP says it appears to have been “mechanical.” Mounties add the plane’s engine had “notable damage” but otherwise seemed to be fine.

“It’s very unique but also kind of a good news story, in that no one was injured,” Grandy said.

The RCMP says it has notified NAV Canada about the incident.

“There was no indication that the pilot shouldn’t have been doing what he was doing. It just legitimately appeared like a mechanical problem.”