A small aircraft left the runway at Saint John Airport while trying to take off Tuesday morning, coming to rest upside down.
“At approximately 9:50 this morning there was a report of an airplane that left the runway at the Saint John airport,” said Michael Carr, a platoon chief with Saint John Fire.
“The plane was a single prop private aircraft that ended up on its roof. The Saint John Airport fire staff removed the pilot who has undetermined injuries but was transported by Ambulance New Brunswick to the Saint John Regional Hospital.”
READ MORE: Police seek person of interest following suspicious Moncton fire
The plane came to rest 230 feet from the runway and layer of foam was sprayed on the fuselage as a precaution even though it did not catch fire. Weather is not believed to have been a factor and the Transportation Safety Board has been notified by the airport.
“The protocol includes notifying the transportation safety board of the incident and providing them with information and then from there they take the appropriate steps that they feel they need to in terms of investigating the incident,” said Greg Hierlihy, the director of finance and administration for the airport.
The runway was closed for several hours, forcing two incoming flights to be redirected and one outgoing flight to be cancelled. Travel plans were interrupted for many.
READ MORE: Arrest warrants issued for U.S. pair charged with bomb threat at St. John’s airport
For Muhammad Kabir, the cancellation was just another instance in a line of bad luck. Kabir was trying to get to Montreal to pick up his daughter before flying on to Bangladesh, but this is now the fourth flight he has had cancelled in the last two days.
Kabir says he’s now decided to cancel his trip entirely.
“For me it’s disappointing. But, again, I have to make a decision here. How far can I rebook here? How much time should I spend? As much as I would like to go I don’t think this is worth it,” he said.
By about noon the runway had been reopened and by 1 p.m. the plane was towed from the runway as operations have returned back to normal.