Good fortune spared the people of Nelson from a tragedy after a small plane crash-landed in a usually busy parking lot on Monday.
The plane struggled to land at Nelson Airport and ended up breaking through a fence, crossing a road and coming to a stop outside Real Canadian Wholesale Club.
Nelson Fire and Rescue went to the scene at about 9:30 am and found the plane “severely damaged.”
Both the occupants of the plane suffered only minor injuries and were aided by medics.
But fuel was leaking from the plane, Assistant Fire Chief Michael Daloise said, and that became the priority for firefighters.
“With the assistance of the pilot, the crews isolated fuel valves to stop most of the fuel leaking from the damaged airplane wings,” he said.
“The left wing tank was damaged and crews worked to contain the leaking fuel by using absorbents. Crews also used the absorbent to prevent the fuel from flowing into the storm drain.
“The high temperatures and wind helped the aviation fuel evaporate quickly and limited the risk of fire.”
Amazingly, the plane only lightly touched a car during the crash-landing.
“Fortunately at the time of the incident, traffic was minimal on the road and in the parking lot,” Daloise said.
The crash is now being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and Nelson Police Department.
