Piper Cherokee Lands on Quebec Autoroute

[jpilot77]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montrea ... -1.5534384

Good job.

[Heliian]

Good thing traffic was light, the engine was still turning, there were no injuries and there were no wires.

A little pucker with those poles and signs no doubt, I'd love to hear the story.

More pipers landing on roads here:

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/01 ... oad-sign/
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/27/ ... ighway-99/

And a few others:

https://youtu.be/MErqutGZ8S0

[JasonE]

There was a better video on FB, for sure the prop was still turning as it taxied to the shoulder. Wonder if it could maintain power.

[GoodGuy]

Does anyone know what the aftermath of a highway landing is?
Do you Toff again on the highway or is the plane disassembled and hauled off in a trailer?
Also is there a fine for landing on a highway?

[linecrew]

There was a better video on FB, for sure the prop was still turning as it taxied to the shoulder. Wonder if it could maintain power.

There is a video I saw where it was trailing a bit of smoke...so guessing that it might not have been able to.

[Inverted2]

Excellent job...... And typical Quebec drivers blew past him as soon as they could. Surprised they didn’t take his wing off for making them slow down.

[corethatthermal]

Passenger to driver, " Look ma, the plane looks like its landing" "Yes, son, i see those planes land all the time at the big airport " Priceless video and made me laugh! Think of the irony when people hear a siren 1 km away and panic to get to the side of the road when there is a free lane open , trying to CAUSE an accident !

[boeingboy]

Think of the irony when people hear a siren 1 km away and panic to get to the side of the road when there is a free lane open , trying to CAUSE an accident !

You really need to stop talking. Do you know its the law to pull over for emergency vehicles no matter how many free lanes there are? I bet you also didn't know your legally obligated to run a red light if there is no other way to let an emergency vehicle through an intersection.

Please - use your head and don't make fun of those trying to do what's legally required and safe.

[PilotDAR]

Do you know its the law to pull over for emergency vehicles no matter how many free lanes there are? I bet you also didn't know your legally obligated to run a red light if there is no other way to let an emergency vehicle through an intersection.

Yes. Prior to this rather common sense, and simply human courtesy rule being made, I watched as an OPP officer was winged by a passing (too fast) car at the scene of one of our fire department's accident calls. I was thinking to jump in our rescue van and go after the idiot. but attending to the officer was my priority.

As a citizen driver, hell, just as a citizen, if you are aware of the need for an emergency event needing more space, get the hell out of the way! Well out of the way! Do it safely first ('cause we don't need a second accident to divide our resources), but make it obvious that you are getting out of the way, so the emergency driver can begin to anticipate what you're doing.

Make sure you don't get more into the way, because you changed your mind, and changed paths. Once you're doing the best thing you can do, keep doing it safely (unlike the guy who pulled out in front of me, while I was driving to the first accident, causing a second, and the destruction of both of our vehicles. It was only because I had a fire department radio, and could call the first scene, that those resources weren't divided right away.

If getting out of the way means that you might have to drive faster, or go (with immense caution) through a red light, then you should consider that. The last thing I need while driving a 15 ton fir truck, is to have driver ahead lock it up, and not get out of the lane, 'cause there's nowhere to go. I already can see that you've got nowhere to go other than forward, so go forward as fast as you safely can, until you can get safely out of the way, then signal, and do that! As long as you are safe, do you think that you're going to get in trouble for doing the most logical safe thing to assure passage of emergency services?

When you hear a siren, or see the lights, imagine that for a few minutes, something more important than your thing is happening, and your community service will be just to step aside, and let it happen safely. If you want to honour front line workers, start by giving them as much room and safety as you can when they our out in the community.

[broken_slinky]

There is a video I saw where it was trailing a bit of smoke...so guessing that it might not have been able to.

Saw the same video. While still about 100' above the road, you could see some pretty distinct black/grey smoke that looks like it was trailing off the engine cowl.
If you had to do an emergency landing, it can't get much better than that.

[rxl]

And don’t forget those flashing GREEN lights on the roof of volunteer fire fighters’ vehicles‘!

[corethatthermal]

Think of the irony when people hear a siren 1 km away and panic to get to the side of the road when there is a free lane open , trying to CAUSE an accident !

Here is the LAW :

On a multi-lane highway
slow down, signal and move to the right
if possible, pull as close as you can to the right side of the roadway and stop when safe to do so
don't move onto the shoulder
On a two-lane road
signal and move to the right
pull as close as possible to the right edge of the road, clear of any intersection, and stop
On a one-way street
signal and pull to the right or the left side of the street, clear of any intersection, and stop
In an intersection
traffic in all directions must yield to emergency vehicles
don't block the intersection
if an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind you, don't make a left turn - proceed straight through the intersection, then pull to the right and stop

I agree with DAR, I do not agree with basement dwellers waiting for their kraft dinner from mommy who are ignorant of the law and common sense!

[corethatthermal]

On a multilane highway, the idea is to provide a clear lane ( the fast lane) for the vehicle to get through, IF it is safe to stop, i will !

[Aviatard]

Here is the LAW :

That's not the law, but a copy/paste from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation suggestions on Reacting to an Emergency Vehicle.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety ... cles.shtml

The law in Ontario is here:

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK262

[corethatthermal]

My apologies, Here is the actual law:

Approaching, following emergency vehicles
Stop on approach of vehicle with flashing lights or bell or siren sounding
159 (1) The driver of a vehicle, upon the approach of a police department vehicle with its bell or siren sounding or with its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light or red and blue light, or upon the approach of an ambulance, fire department vehicle or public utility emergency vehicle with its bell or siren sounding or its lamp producing intermittent flashes of red light, shall immediately bring such vehicle to a standstill,

(a) as near as is practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection; or

(b) when on a roadway having more than two lanes for traffic and designated for the use of one-way traffic, as near as is practicable to the nearest curb or edge of the roadway and parallel therewith and clear of any intersection. 2009, c. 5, s. 49.

I will NOT immediately pull the car over to the curb ( not into the shoulder or gravelled area) IF there is risk of an accident in doing so. Common sense!

BTW, The MOT recommendations to NOT go off the paved road surface CAN be wrong IF there is no room for the first responder vehicle to pass AND the gravel portion is safe to park on! Again, common sense!

[corethatthermal]

Consider a 2 lane roadway with narrow shoulders, ( gravel portion) IAW the law and MOT suggestions, the first responder fire truck will not be able to pass IF traffic in both opposing lanes stop IAW the law !! Common sense in this case would mean to continue to drive ahead until you are able to exit and provide room for the fire truck to pass!

[PilotDAR]

One of my stories...

I took my wife dining at Lindsay airport restaurant, which is on Highway 35, a well traveled local highway (the true reason for the success of the restaurant in lean flying times). While we dined outside, I sound hear a siren coming over the hill. Added to the siren were the tones of the horn as well. Sure enough, and ambulance is trying to attract the attention of an oblivious motorist, that the motorist should give way. I mutter to my wife about thoughtless motorists. As the offended, followed by the frustrated ambulance driver approach, OPP pass the other direction. The cops figures it out quick, wheels around, and pulls over the motorist, in the restaurant parking lot. I dine with smug satisfaction. As the cop releases the ticketed motorist, I walk over to the cop to express my thanks. We both agree how frustrating these thoughtless motorists are, and how rarely there's a cop there, with the time on hand to pull the motorist over - usually for our fire department, the cop was going to our call too.

So as we chat, we hear a siren coming over the hill, with horn tones on top. Same thing again. Look at the cop, he looks at me, smiles, an steps out onto the shoulder with his pull over arm stuck out.

As a person who drives an emergency vehicle, I would like every other motorist to be first: safe, and thereafter, do the most safe thing to not impede the progress of the emergency vehicle. If pulling over, would be unsafe, (like a track bear snowy highway) then don't! But for heaven's sake, don't stop in front of me either. Drive as fast as is safe until you can get out of my way. Pulling half way out of the lane and then jamming on the brakes will not assure safe passage of the emergency vehicle! And if you crash off the road (or into another motorist), then I can't get to the call I was going to, 'cause I have to stop for you!

I'm pretty confident in saying that if you do the thing which is most safe, and most yields to the need of the emergency vehicle to get where it's going, the cops would rather give you a pat on the back than a ticket.

Once the emergency vehicle is stopped at the scene on the highway, that is the time to slow right down, and pass with lots of room!

[corethatthermal]

Drive as fast as is safe until you can get out of my way.

Just like the law allowing you to use COMMON SENSE to cross a red light, you may need to speed up past the posted speed limit to get out of the way !! ( That one isn't in the lawbooks now is it? )

Pulling half way out of the lane and then jamming on the brakes will not assure safe passage of the emergency vehicle!

As i mentioned in previous post

I'm pretty confident in saying that if you do the thing which is most safe, and most yields to the need of the emergency vehicle to get where it's going,

And there lies the problem when I first posted. Do what is necessary to facilitate the unimpeded emerg vehicles so they can save lives !

[corethatthermal]

SOOO many times, i have seen drivers half freeze, pull partly over, blocking the road, leaving their rear exposed AND also nearly causing accidents trying to get over and stop in a panic WHEN there was an open lane !!

[corethatthermal]

BTW I can't count how many times I have landed on highways ( Incl. the trans-Canada HWY ) and have even been given a pat on the back once by an officer ( Ex- comm pilot) for landing on another TCH! Flame away little ones ,,,