A pilot made an emergency landing in a rural field in Abbotsford Sunday morning after his aircraft experienced mechanical difficulties.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said the 62-year-old pilot from Delta left from Boundary Bay Airport at about 9:30 a.m. in a Cherokee 6 aircraft and landed at Chilliwack Airport.
After leaving Chilliwack and heading back towards Boundary Bay, the plane began having problems. MacDonald said the pilot was surprised because all his gauges had shown the aircraft was in good working order.
“At a certain point, the engine cut out and he was unable to restart it,” MacDonald said.
The pilot then made a “soft landing” in a grassy field in the 6100 block of Mt. Lehman Road.
Members of the Abbotsford Police Department’s patrol division and Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service and BC Ambulance staff attended the scene.
The pilot and the two passengers on board were not injured.
MacDonald said the plane suffered some damage to its propellor, landing gear and fuselage, and a mechanical assessment is being done to determine the cause of the mechanical problems.
The Transportation Safety Board was advised of the incident.
