Plane lands on its belly at the Vernon airport

A small plane came to a screeching halt at the Vernon Regional Airport yesterday.

A Kelowna resident, who witnessed the crash and asked not to use his name due to job repercussions, said he was at the airport when he heard a grinding sound.

He turned and saw a small plane coming to a halt on its belly.

He didn’t see any emergency vehicles on scene and the incident happened around 2:30 p.m., May 22.

It’s the second time he’s seen a similar incident at the airport. The first time was four years ago involving a float plane and it also landed on its belly in the same spot, he said.

The Vernon Regional Airport’s Emergency Response Plan was activated Sunday afternoon after a single-engine plane landed on the runway without having its landing gear extended, according to the City of Vernon's press release.

One person was aboard the plane and no injuries were reported. No other aircraft or objects were involved and no major damage was done to the airport infrastructure, according to the city.

The runway was closed temporarily while a local aircraft repair company helped extricate the disabled plane. The runway has reopened.

– This story was updated May 23, at 11:33 with a press release from the city.

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