QUEBEC — A small plane crashed on the main runway at Quebec City's Jean Lesage International Airport on Tuesday morning, sending one person to hospital with injuries.
Police and fire officials were called to the scene about 9:20 a.m. to find a crumpled Cessna 172 lying upside down on the runway.
Firefighters were also present but there was never any smoke or fire from the crashed plane, police said.
Video of the incident shows the plane struggling to get height before swooping hard and striking the ground.
The pilot, the only person aboard the craft, was conscious as he was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The airport authority said in a tweet on its X account that the Cessna 172 was owned by local flight school Orizon Aviation and the crash occurred during landing.
"We don't know the cause of this incident at this time," said Laurianne Lapierre, a spokeswoman for the airport.
Orizon refused to answer questions when contacted by The Canadian Press.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has not ruled out opening an investigation. "We are in the process of collecting data," said Liam MacDonald, a TSB spokesman.
There were delays at the airport as flights were rerouted to a secondary runway while the small craft was towed away and debris was picked up from the main airstrip.
"The runway should be back in operation in the next few hours," Lapierre said Tuesday afternoon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2023.
Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press
