79-year-old made an emergency landing of light aircraft without propeller

skySky.Photo: Norway Today Media

Both pilot and aircraft emerged unscathed when a small plane with one engine lost its propeller and had to make an emergency landing at Stavanger airport Thursday afternoon.

All of a sudden I heard a “pang”, and then the propeller flew off,  the experienced pilot and flight instructor Paul Garstad says to Stavanger Aftenblad after the very dramatic event.
The 79-year-old, who is described as a legend by light aircraft enthusiasts and professionals at Sola, estimated that aircraft was at a speed of 200 km / h when the propeller suddenly disappeared.
The police was notified about the incident at 14.36 on Thursday afternoon.
– He was not very far away from the airport and has glided down to it,Leader of Operations Joran Solheim in South West police told  NTB.
Garstad says emergency landings like this is something you practice, and that he always takes notice  of places where it is possible to make an emergency landing when he’s out flying,.
The light aircraft pilot says the people in the tower became quite agitated when he notified them that the propeller had disappeared.
– I think they were more flustered than me,  the 79-year-old who then glided  almost 2.5 kilometers from Tjelta to the runway at Sola, says. The landing went smoothly. The propeller was found by a farmer a bit later.
The Accident Investigation Board Norway and Civil Aviation Authority were notified of the proceedings.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today