More is being learned about Sunday’s dramatic plane crash in North Vancouver that miraculously only ended with one broken arm.
In a statement to CKNW, a man claiming to be the pilot says it’s something he will definitely never forget.
A man identified as ‘Octavio H’ says they were flying over the Lions Gate Bridge when the plane lost power.
He says after several unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine and declaring a state of emergency to local air traffic control, he started to look for somewhere to make an emergency landing.
Because it was rush hour, roads weren’t safe – and because it was a relatively nice day, parks were full of people.
He says when he decided to chance a nearby road, what appeared to be a fuel truck was turning towards him, so he swung towards a parking lot – and into some telephone pole guide wires.
The plane ended up nose first into the ground under the Philip Avenue overpass, south of Marine Drive.
He says the person who broke his arm broke it because he was trying to protect his girlfriend during the crash, and that everyone was able to safely evacuate through the broken windshield.
Neither the Transportation Safety Board or the RCMP have commented on the man’s statement.
Sgt. Sue Tupper with North Vancouver RCMP says crews were called to McKeen and Pemberton Avenues just before four p.m.
“We’re still trying to determine if it was hydro lines or cable lines. And we’ve determined there was passengers on board. There’s been no fatalities, and the passengers have been transported to hospital.”
Tupper says luckily, the worst injury appears to be a broken limb.
She adds there are some traffic restrictions in the area, but that the aircraft went down in a largely industrial area and is unlikely to impact most drivers.
District of North Vancouver Assistant Fire Chief Jim Bonneville says crews are still looking for clues as to what caused the crash.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) says the Cessna 172 had four passengers on board and was on the return leg of a trip from Langley to Tofino.
The TSB says it’s still unclear what brought the plane down, and that an investigation is ongoing.
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