A pilot is in “serious condition” after their small plane made an emergency landing near Qualicum Beach Airport Sunday evening, officials from the Vancouver Island town said.
A statement from the town said a Cessna 172 plane landed just off the runway around 7:45 p.m., prompting RCMP and the local fire department to respond.
The pilot, who was the only person on board the aircraft, was transported to hospital for treatment. The town’s statement said the pilot was “in serious condition.”
Oceanside RCMP said in a statement Monday the pilot suffered non-life threatening injuries.
The police force added the Cessna 172 — which is described as a four-seat, single-engine plane — was located in a ditch near a tree line beyond the eastern perimeter of the airport.
The Transportation Safety Board has taken over the crash investigation, RCMP said.
A spokesperson for the TSB told Global News investigators will be deployed to the scene of the crash Monday to gather more information.
The report to the TSB said the plane was heading from Victoria to Qualicum Beach and “collided with terrain in a farmer’s field” near the airport. It also described the pilot’s injuries as serious.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
The airport was closed Sunday night while emergency crews responded, but the town said Monday the airport has since reopened.