CLOSE CALL Emergency personnel attend to a scene at the Canfor mill in Radium Hot Springs on Tuesday (July 14th) night after a pilot flying a small Cessna was forced to make an emergency landing. Photo by Amanda Nason
By Breanne Massey
Pioneer Staff
A single engine Cessna made an emergency landing at Canfor mill yard in Radium Hot Springs due to a low fuel tank.
The pilot walked away from the accident unscathed in spite of clipping the planes left wing on a tree during the 8:32 p.m. landing on Tuesday, July 14th.
He was running low on fuel and I think he wouldve had enough to make it to the Invermere airport, but I dont think (the pilot) was aware of the airport in Invermere so he circled the mill a couple of times looking for a suitable place to land, said Columbia Valley RCMP Cpl. Grant Simpson. When he felt that the road in behind the mill was appropriate, he made the decision to land, and as he came in to land, a few of the trees growing along the dirt road were a little taller than he had anticipated, so he clipped his wing and did some damage to his Cessna, but he walked away uninjured from it.
There were no other passengers on board for the accident and no other damage reported from the surrounding area.
The sight of a plane from Golden circling the area didnt go unnoticed by Canfor staffers on shift at the mill that night.
An employee of the mill had watched this plane circle the mill about three times and then watched him make an emergency landing, explained Cpl. Simpson, noting the name of the pilot or his Golden-based business could not be released. It was an unfortunate incident that was very preventable, as usual.
Canfor plant manager Steve Thorpe could not be reached for a comment before The Pioneer went to press.
