Light Sport Jabiru Made A Forced Landing Just After Takeoff From Reno

An unidentified pilot and his pet cat both walked away from a forced landing Tuesday morning ... well technically the cat was probably carried away, but without cashing in one of its nine lives.

Jabiru Sport File Photo

The Reno Gazette Journal reports the pilot was departing from Reno in an Australian-designed Jabiru Light Sport Aircraft owned by Erick Quan of Reno. FAA records show Quan licensed the plane in July. Witnesses said the plane took off, then veered sharply left and came down in some sagebrush about 100 feet from the runway. While the plane sustained substantial damage, neither the pilot nor the cat was apparently injured. The pilot was checked out by paramedics at the scene.

FAA officials closed the runway while they conducted their initial investigation. It has not yet been determined whether a mechanical failure or pilot error caused the incident. Reno-Tahoe International Airport spokesman Brian Kulpin said "We're just happy the pilot and the cat walked away."

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.usjabiru.com