Video captures moment pilot lands plane on Toronto-area highway after engine fails
The pilot who landed a small aircraft on Highway 407 north of Toronto says he had no option but to bring the plane down on the road after the engine failed following takeoff Wednesday.
The single-engine Piper PA-28 landed on Highway 407 eastbound lanes near Woodbine Avenue just before 11 a.m. There were two pilots on the plane and both were not injured.
The highway operator released video of the emergency landing on Twitter Wednesday afternoon. It shows the plane touching down in the left lane and coming to a stop.
The highway did not appear to be busy at the time of the emergency landing.
"We just departed Buttonville," the pilot, Ibrahim, said in an interview with police. "We climbed above 2,000 feet and we started experiencing engine failure."
He said he knew based on his speed he wouldn't make it back to the runway.
"We declared a mayday," he said. "We just let them (air traffic control) know we were heading for the highway."
"We had no options. It was either this or a building."
The airplane did not sustain any damage during the landing and no one was injured on the ground.
According to police, the plane was on its first flight after going through a 100-hour inspection.
Eastbound lanes on Highway 407 were closed after the plane landed but are starting to reopen, police said.
A crane was brought to the location to lift the plane off the highway and onto a tow truck.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim said he credits his pilot training for helping him land the plane safely.
"Just stick to your flight training and follow everything. You may think it won't happen to you, I never thought it would happen to me, but it did."
According to public aviation records, the plane is registered to the Caribbean Flying Club in Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.