By Taylor MacPherson

Plane was carrying medical patients during belly landing

Oct 23, 2017 | 12:00 PM

The aircraft that was forced to make a gear-up landing in Prince Albert Saturday night was a medivac flight with two patients aboard, paNOW has learned.

Carla Wayman, director of flight operations with Transwest Air, said the King Air aircraft was carrying two patients and an escort to P.A. when a landing gear failure forced the pilots to make an emergency landing. The aircraft made a belly landing at the Prince Albert Airport near midnight Saturday, she said, and everyone emerged from the incident unhurt.

“There were no injuries to the five passengers and the two crew-members,” Wayman said. “Transwest is currently investigating the incident.”

Everyone involved performed their roles well given the circumstances, Wayman said, and the federal Transportation Safety Board has been made aware of the incident.

Members of the Prince Albert Fire Department were waiting on the ground for the aircraft when it made its emergency landing, Battalion Chief Alex Paul said.

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According to Paul, the pilots learned of the landing gear issue long before the emergency landing, which gave emergency services on the ground time to prepare.

“We were contacted at 10:30 [p.m.] and the plane actually didn’t touch down until around midnight,” Paul said. “We had lots of warning prior to them landing. We were on the apron awaiting the plane’s arrival. We have our procedures and protocols in place and everything went off very smoothly.”

Paul said the plane, which was incoming from La Ronge, did not catch fire during the belly landing. No fuel leaked out, he said, and all of the occupants walked off the aircraft no worse for wear.

“I was very pleased with the way everything worked out,” he said.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews