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
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.