Update: 5 p.m.
There were no injuries after an airplane made an emergency landing at the Vernon Airport Saturday afternoon.
A privately registered twin-engine plane advised that it had a mechanical issue with the aircraft’s nose landing gear around 1:30 p.m. March 21, according to City of Vernon spokesperson Jessica Hewitt.
As a safety precaution, emergency crews were dispatched to the airport for standby.
The aircraft had one person aboard. It landed safely at 1:48 p.m., Hewitt said.
Vernon Fire Rescue Services, RCMP and BC Emergency Health Services responded to the incident.
The airport was temporarily closed to air traffic but has now reopened.
Original:
An airplane made an emergency landing at the Vernon Airport Saturday afternoon, coming to a rest on the landing strip in a nose-down position.
Vernon Fire Rescue Services and the RCMP could be seen responding to the incident around 2 p.m. March 21.
The plane appeared to land on the tarmac without having its front landing gear engaged.
“The plane made a hard landing with its nose gear collapsing,” said Tom Mark, who was walking by the airport when the incident occurred.
While the plane came to a rest with its nose pointing down, it did not sustain much damage.
It’s not known how many people were in the airplane at the time of the crash or if there were any injuries.
The Morning Star has reached out to the city and the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP for more information.