A bizarre and alarming incident unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday when a small aircraft, likely `stolen’ from Vancouver Island, entered monitored airspace near Vancouver International Airport, which caused an immediate and temporary suspension of flight activity.
The airplane was a Cessna 172, registered to a flying club located in Victoria. According to RCMP, the suspect supposedly flying solo, landed at Vancouver Airport at about 2:15 a.m. Indian time and was immediately taken into custody peacefully.
The incident called for the immediate activation of safety protocols at Vancouver International Airport, one of the top choice airports in Canada. The airport placed a hold on incoming flight arrivals, diversion being given to nine inbound flights. Global News Canada stated that back-operations were stopped for about 39 minutes.
While officials have yet to disclose the name of the person involved, video clips were circulated on social media showing a man standing with his arms raised near the Cessna, with armed cops surrounding him on the runway.
Witnesses also described the unusual activity in the sky. Paul Heeney, an observer quoted by CBC, said the plane was flying lower than usual for that area. “We saw it circle around in a big clockwise turn,” he recalled. “It wasn’t flying like a training flight.”
RCMP confirmed that there was no one else onboard. The reason for the unexpected flight and how the suspect managed to access the aircraft without raising alarms at the Victoria-based flying club are part of an ongoing investigation.
Even if the incident was resolved without further problems, it caused difficulties in airport operations and new issues regarding flight security and safety were raised, especially with small planes at regional airports. Although all diverted flights were cleared to land, there were minor delays throughout the morning as a result of the incident.
Authorities still have not said if this was a thought-out act, spontaneous, or tied to another threat. For now, questions remain: Who was the solo pilot? And why did they take off toward a highly restricted airspace without clearance?
The Canadian aviation and security authorities are expected to issue more detailed updates as their inquiry progresses.
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