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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.