The pilot and co-pilot of a cargo plane were able to land safely at Smithers Regional Airport Tuesday morning after a light indicated that the front landing gear failed to lock.
Smithers fire trucks, ambulances, and RCMP were called to the airport in the event they were needed. The landing gear at the nose of the Metroliner aircraft flown in by Carson Air Ltd. stayed up and the emergency services were not needed.
Airport manager Rob Blackburn said the response ran smoothly and no flights were delayed. An Air Canada flight left as the cargo plane circled the area waiting the few minutes it took for emergency services to arrive and prepare for the landing. Blackburn stressed incidents with aircraft are very rare, and that air travel is statistically much safer than travel by car or truck.