A student pilot crashed a single engine high wing plane onto Highway 5A, after a failed take off from Princeton airport at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday April 15.

The pilot, a 36 year old man from Oliver, walked away with a few bumps and bruises, according to RCMP Sgt. Robert Hughes.

The plane crashed directly in front of a school bus, which had just enough time to stop.

Hughes said the man had flown from Penticton to Princeton, and was on a return flight, when he failed to achieve proper airspeed on take off.

鈥淗e did all the right things,鈥� said Hughes, who is also a pilot. The protocol under such circumstances is to keep the nose low and to not veer off, to just go forward.

The plane blasted through an airport fence, down a hill, and came to rest on the highway in front of a cement barrier where it broke into two pieces.

鈥淗e鈥檚 alive and and he has some scrapes but he gets to go home.鈥�

Princeton Fire Department attended the scene and eliminated danger from a fuel spill, and Transport Canada was notified, said Hughes.

鈥淲hen I got my pilot鈥檚 license I learned that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing,鈥� he added.

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com