A small aircraft was compelled to perform an emergency landing on a highway east of Edmonton in Alberta as per the Alberta RCMP. The incident involved a Cessna 172 plane with two individuals aboard, which landed on Highway 21 in Strathcona County, coming to a stop in the southbound lanes between Highway 16 and Baseline Road. The RCMP received the alert around 1:30 a.m., prompting officers to respond to the location.
Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or collisions involving the plane and vehicles on the highway. According to RCMP Constable Sandra Geiger, both the pilot and passenger of the plane emerged unharmed. Geiger mentioned uncertainty regarding the presence of vehicles on the highway during the landing.
The highway remained closed for several hours as Alberta RCMP personnel continued their presence at the scene. Eventually, at 7:30 a.m., the highway was reopened for traffic flow after the plane was safely relocated off the highway to the shoulder of a nearby range road. The aircraft, a red and white four-seat, single-engine fixed-wing plane, did not exhibit any visible damage.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) was notified of the incident and is anticipated to spearhead the investigation. According to TSB officials in a statement to CBC News, the aircraft experienced engine failure, leading to the forced landing on the highway at approximately 1:15 a.m. Thankfully, no harm was done to the aircraft or its occupants. The TSB has indicated that no investigators will be sent to the scene but will gather information and assess the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing.