2.6 C
Niagara Falls
Friday, March 29, 2024
Plane crashes short of NOTL runway

A small Cessna plane crash landed 300-metres short of the runway at Niagara District Airport in Niagara-on-the-Lake around 6 p.m Saturday.

The aircraft landed nose-first, in a field near Neob Lavender Boutique after one of its engines failed.

All three passengers on board survived with no injuries, said NOTL Fire Chief Rob Grimwood, in an email to town senior staff.

The email said the plane had been under limited power due to the engine failure and was forced to fly into the airport at an extremely low altitude.

One resident driving along Hwy. 55 said the plane looked like it was about to land on the road, said NOTL Coun. Martin Mazza.

Mazza said the landing was fairly gentle and the plane was not significantly damaged.

The plane had departed from Kingston and put out a distress call after experiencing engine failure.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire and Emergency Services, Niagara Regional Police and Niagara EMS responded to the scene and firefighters were able to ensure the plane did not present any fire or electrical hazards.

When emergency crews were finished, the scene was turned over to airport staff who contacted the National Transportation Safety Board.

Mazza said from an emergency response perspective the call went extremely well.

Niagara District Airport chairman Terry Flynn said the soft ground was the “saving grace” for the passengers.

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