Newly obtained air traffic control audio reveals the tense exchanges between a pilot and tower operators in the moments before a small plane made an emergency landing in a Toronto park earlier this week.
The recording, obtained by CityNews Toronto and courtesy of LiveATC.net, begins with the pilot calmly alerting the tower: “I think I might have an engine failure. Exit Gulf.”
Air traffic control quickly responds, asking, “Charlie, can you make it to the airport?” The pilot replies, “Negative. Can you find anywhere to land? We’ve got three people on board.”
As the situation unfolds, the pilot’s voice grows more urgent. “Okay, tower. I’m not exactly seeing anywhere to land here,” he says. The controller urges him to look for any possible option: “Extra Golf, Charlie. Can you make it? Can you find a highway or a street that’s not very busy or a park or something?”
The small aircraft ultimately came down in a park in Toronto’s east end, narrowly avoiding nearby homes and a sports field. Emergency crews rushed to the scene, but all three people on board walked away uninjured.
The rental company, Flight Club, later confirmed the plane that crashed was a Canadian-registered Piper Cherokee.
Pilot’s quick thinking praised by aviation experts
Moments after the landing, another exchange is heard on the recording: “You’ve probably heard they landed in a soccer field near Bloor Street about a mile and a half east of the Don Valley Parkway.”
A second voice responds, “Okay, Mike, we’ll have a look there. We have proper surveillance equipment, and I’ll let you know what we see there.”
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says the plane had departed from Orillia and was en route to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport when it experienced engine failure. Investigators are now examining the aircraft and reviewing the circumstances that led to the forced landing.
Officials say the pilot’s quick decision‑making and ability to find an open space likely prevented a far more serious outcome.
One witness at the scene reported that he was at the nearby St. Patrick’s Field when a plane flying above them appeared to be descending lower and lower to the ground.
“It was coming from the west side of the city to the east. And it was really low. And then all of a sudden we heard a big loud crash,” said witness David Sydney-Cariglia.
