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 co-pilot experienced a sudden engine failure at 9,500 feet while transporting rescue puppies for Pilots 'n Paws.
They successfully performed an emergency glide landing at Virginia Highlands Airport (KVJI), attributing their safe arrival to training, quick actions, and modern avionics.
Airport staff and local Animal Control provided exceptional assistance for the stranded puppies and pilots, helping them secure transport to complete their journey by ground.

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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.