4 dead after plane, glider collide mid-air in B.C.
Posted June 29, 2013 9:15 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Four people and a dog are dead following a plane crash south of Pemberton.
Comox Search and Rescue says a Cessna 150 and a glider collided mid-air near the Nairn Falls Provincial Park shortly after 1 p.m.
Second Lt Erin Edwards says the two aircraft fell close by. “One aircraft collided into another and severed the wing off the glider, which then impacted the ground. The other aircraft went across the river there.”
Lon was golfing at Big Sky when he heard a loud bang.
“As we looked up to see what the bang was, I didn’t see the glider anymore at that point, I guess it was pretty much out of the sky. You could see the wings were up in the sky, they were weightless, just floating, descending very slowly,” he describes.
The bodies of both the pilot and the passenger from both planes have been recovered.
Pemberton Mayor Jordan Sturdy says the slopes around Mt Currie where the crash took place is popular with those in the gliding community. “It is a great area for soaring and thermal lifting and is a good area for that kind of aerial activity.”
He says the terrain in the area is very rough, making it difficult for crews to recover all the pieces of the two aircraft, however both the bodies of the pilots and passengers from both aircraft have been found.
Sgt. Rob Knapton with Whistler RCMP says there are several teams combing through the wreckage. “Right now we are still looking for any potential survivors in the area, as well as any evidence that may be present that could assist us and Transport Canada with their investigations.”
Knapton says pieces of the wreckage did fall on the nearby Nairn Falls campground but no one on the ground was hurt. The park is still open for campers with limited access.
