Fiery ultralight plane crash in Surrey seriously injures one person
One person has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after an ultralight aircraft crashed and caught on fire in Surrey, B.C. Friday afternoon.
Witnesses on the scene told CTV news they saw the plane take off before crashing.
"He managed to get in the air 300 or 400 feet, and apparently the engine started to miss, he tried to turn back to the field, and fell short…and immediately it burst into flames," Jeff Rochon said.
Officers with the Surrey RCMP say they were called to an ultralight aviation field on 152 Street near 69 Avenue around 1:30 p.m., a statement from Mounties says.
"Police are currently on scene and the circumstances that led to the fire are unclear at this time. The fire spread to the surrounding grass area and firefighters are actively working to extinguish it," the media release continues, saying a lengthy road closure was expected and asking drivers to avoid te area.
Meanwhile, firefighters said the conditions were making it challenging to put the fire out and a second alarm response involving 10 trucks and 28 personnel is underway
"It’s gotten windy this afternoon and the wind is pushing this fire away from us, we are getting crews on all the different flanks on the fire," John Lehmann, deputy chief of operations with the Surrey Fire Service said.
"It’s dry. As I’m sure everyone knows, we’ve had a very dry May and into June with no relief in sight here, so people need to be careful. This should be a reminder that even down here on the coast where everything is still green, a wildfire can get going and when it's pushed by the wind it can become quite a problem."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent investigators to probe the crash, identifying the aircraft involved as a Zenair CH701.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.