The Transportation Safety Board has released its findings into an incident that say a small airplane make an emergency landing on a busy Calgary street this past spring.
A Piper Navajo, operated by Super T Aviation, was on its way to Calgary from Medicine Hat on April 25 when it suffered a mechanical issue and was forced to land on 36 Street N.E., short of its scheduled runway.
According to the TSB report, the two flight crew members brought the plane up to a cruising altitude of 8,000 feet after taking off at about 4:45 a.m. After just under an hour into the flight, the pilots began a descent into Calgary.
At that point, the right engine began to surge, prompting the crew to make alternate arrangements for landing at YYC Calgary International Airport.
The crew determined that a fuel pump on the right engine had failed and then, minutes later, the left engine began to surge.
Upon realizing that the craft wouldn’t make it to the selected runway, the crew then made the decision to land in the northbound lanes of 36 Street N.E.
No one on board was hurt in the incident.
The TSB has found that the fuel settings were not properly selected by the crew, causing the engines to run out of fuel and therefore lose power.
Actions have been taken to improve the operating procedures of the Piper Navajo aircraft, including changes to procedures in relation to inboard and outboard fuel tanks.
