The pilot and a passenger escaped serious injury after a small airplane crashed beside a rural sideroad here on July 25.
Wellington County OPP officers received a report of a downed airplane on the 8th Line near Wellington Road 6 in the Town of Minto at around 3pm on July 25.
Police say an emergency landing was performed on the roadway and in the attempt a stop sign and a hydro pole were damaged. The plane came to a rest on hydro wires.
The pilot, aged 57 and his son, the co-pilot, age 24, both from the Netherlands, sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene by Guelph-Wellington Emergency Medical Services. Police did not release the names of the plane’s occupants.
The Minto Fire Department and Hydro One also attended to assist at the scene.
Police had indicated in a press release the day of the accident that the plane was a Cessna, but it was actually a Beech Bonanzac C-35.
Don Enns, regional manager for the Ontario office of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said it’s very fortunate that no one was injured in the incident, “especially considering that older-vintage airplane did not have shoulder harnesses.”
Ennis told the Wellington Advertiser the pilot was on a pleasure flight out of the Hanover Airport.
“He was just flying around the countryside enjoying himself and then he noted that his fuel level was down to about a quarter,” said Enns, adding the pilot then made the decision not to attempt to return to Hanover and tried to set the plane down on the roadway.
“He didn’t see the wires until the last minute and his wing hit, as he kind of dove under the wires where the wires crossed the road,” said Enns, adding the aircraft also connected with the hydro pole as well, “and that spun him off into the ditch.”
Enns said he was not sure why the pilot attempted to land on the road, rather than a nearby airfield such as the Palmerston Airport near Teviotdale.
“There’s actually quite a few airports around. I don’t know why this guy decided he wanted to land on the road,” said Enns. “Maybe when he saw a quarter (tank of) fuel, he’s looking at it in the negative perspective.”
Enns said he has concluded his investigation, which was conducted by telephone, and he anticipates no further reports or action.
“There’s not an inherent safety issue here. Everything seems to be pretty straight forward.”
