Engine Failure Turns Puppy Ferrying Flight Into Glider

Updated GPS and a moving map display were a game changer when a Cessna 172N engine lost power.

Kieran Spaulding

Thursday, September 07, 2023 at 12:47 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Roland Vegiard (left) and Kerry Spaulding. [Credit: Maryanne Bell/Bradford County Humane Society]

Key Takeaways:

A pilot and Roland embarked on a volunteer Pilots 'n Paws mission, transporting shelter dogs and puppies between Pennsylvania and North Carolina in a Cessna 172N.
During the return leg, the aircraft experienced a complete engine failure at 9,500 feet over southern Virginia.
Employing emergency procedures, the pilots successfully glided the plane to a safe emergency landing at Virginia Highlands Airport (KVJI).
Local airport staff and Animal Control provided exceptional assistance for the pilots and the rescued puppies, necessitating the completion of the animals' journey by ground transport.

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As a pilot and airplane owner, I try to share my passion for flying by donating my time and airplane—a recently purchased single-engine Cessna 172N—for worthy causes like Pilots ‘n Paws.

Recently, Roland Vegiard and I embarked on a charitable trip in support of Pilots ‘n Paws relocating some sheltered animals for the Bradford County Humane Society from Towanda, Pennsylvania, to Asheville, North Carolina.