‘We had no option’: Pilot describes decision to land plane on Hwy. 407
Posted October 27, 2021 4:47 pm.
Last Updated October 28, 2021 12:03 pm.
The small, single-engine plane had just departed from Buttonville airport on Wednesday morning and was in the air for only about a minute when pilot, Ibrahim Kulom, knew something was amiss.
As he told the OPP after safely landing the plane on Highway 407, the engine started “sputtering.”
“We immediately tried to turn back,” he explained.
But it was too late, the sputtering engine was dying. Kulom though was determined it would be the only death on this sunny, surreal Wednesday.
“We declared a mayday, let them know the situation — that we’re heading for the highway.”
When asked if he had any doubts about his precarious choice of a landing spot, he didn’t hesitate.
“We had no option,” he explained. “It was either this, or the buildings.”
With steely nerves and a wealth of experience, the flight instructor headed for the highway in Markham, aided by another pilot who was in the plane with him.
That’s when Kulom got a bit of help. Magically, traffic seemed to clear up, opening up a lane free from the usual traffic that clogs the GTA’s highways.
“Someone was watching over us,” he smiled. “I never thought it would happen to me, but it did. I’m happy that I’m safe.”
