Pilot taken to hospital after crash at Kamloops airport

A private aircraft crashed while landing at the Kamloops airport this morning.

The left side landing gear on a Cessna 172 collapsed while touching down on the runway and came to rest with its left wing on the ground just after 9 a.m., according to a Transportation Safety Board of Canada spokesperson.

The Cessna spilled fuel, but no fire started as a result of the crash, it said in an emailed statement.

RCMP and fire crews were called to the airport at around 9:15 a.m., and the pilot has been taken to hospital in stable condition, according to a Kamloops airport tweet.

No other passengers were on board the plane, according to Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn.

Police will work with Transport Canada while investigating the incident, Evelyn said.

The Transportation Safety Board was notified, but there are no plans to send personnel for an independent investigation.

The runway will be closed for removal of the aircraft and an inspection until 12 p.m. and there will be delays to inbound air traffic, the airport said.

—This story was updated at 12:36 p.m., May 20, 2021, to update with information from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

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