A 71-year-old Vancouver Island resident has been airlifted to hospital after his plane crashed during an air show in Nanaimo, B.C. Saturday afternoon.
Mounties say the pilot was six minutes into an eight minute routine of loops and rolls at the Wings & Wheels 2011 event when the plane suddenly went down.
"For whatever reason, he lost power. He did a nosedive into the east side of the tarmac," Const. Gary O'Brien told ctvbc.ca.
BC Ambulance paramedics were at the show and provided quick medical assistance.
O'Brien said the pilot suffered extensive facial and internal injuries, including broken bones, and was taken to Victoria General Hospital for treatment.
His condition is unknown.
Mounties say the plane was a home-built, single-engine biplane. The pilot, who is said to have many years of experience, was the sole occupant. Transport Canada will be investigating the cause of the crash.
The Nanaimo Flying Club says the plane portion of the Wings & Wheels 2011 event has been cancelled out of respect for the pilot's family.
