Pilot in hospital with serious injuries after emergency landing in Qualicum Beach, B.C.
The organizer of an online fundraising campaign that was started Monday morning identified the injured pilot to CTV News as Akhilesh Shere of Victoria. (GoFundMe)
The pilot of a small plane was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after making an emergency landing at Qualicum Beach Airport on Sunday night.
The plane missed the runway at the airport, which is located between Qualicum Beach, B.C., and Parksville, B.C.
A statement from the Town of Qualicum Beach said the Cessna 172 was forced to make the emergency landing at approximately 7:45 p.m.
Mounties, firefighters, and paramedics responded to the scene and located the plane in a ditch just past the eastern perimeter of the airport.
The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was extricated from the plane and airlifted to hospital, according to police and the municipality.
In a statement, the Town of Qualicum Beach said the pilot was reported to be in "serious condition," while the Oceanside RCMP said the pilot's injuries have been deemed non-life-threatening.
PILOT IDENTIFIED
The organizer of an online fundraising campaign that was started Monday morning identified the injured pilot to CTV News as Akhilesh Shere, of Victoria.
Organizer Kalim Mabrouki wrote on the GoFundMe page that Shere was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital in "serious but stable condition."
"Akhi has recently graduated as a commercial pilot and he is about to start his career as a professional pilot," Mabrouki said.
"Akhilesh is loved by many in the aviation community, and he is a vibrant young man with a second-to-none personality with a life full of dreams ahead of him."
Mabrouki said the goal of the fundraising campaign is to "relieve some of the financial stress for Akhi and let him recover promptly and thoroughly."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is now investigating the crash, and the B.C. Ministry of Environment was notified of the incident, according to RCMP.
The airport was closed while emergency crews responded.
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