Kelowna RCMP have released more details regarding a float plane crash on Okanagan Lake Sunday.
The student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings near Okanagan Centre mid-afternoon when it suddenly flipped onto its back.
“It appears that a wingtip touching the water’s surface may have been a factor in the crash,” says RCMP spokesman, Kris Clark.
Witnesses had reported that one of the pontoons had dug into the water, causing it to flip.
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The pilot, a 26 year-old Alberta man, managed to climb out of the plane. His injuries were minor and did not require hospitalization.
A salvage company has been hired to extract the aircraft.
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The pilot of a float plane is now recovering in hospital after crashing on the shore of Okanagan Lake by Okanagan Centre Sunday afternoon.
According to the RCMP watch commander, the plane was a Cessna 180 that crashed on the shore and then flipped upside down into the lake.
“The plane was coming in for a landing. It was very smooth. It was a very slow landing. As he went in, the right hand pontoon caught the water and flipped the plane upside down,” a witness tells CHBC News.
The witness says the pilot appeared to be a young man in his late 20s or early 30s, who was able to climb out onto the pontoon to be rescued.
The pilot was the sole occupant and he was rescued by a passing boater.
RCMP and Kelowna Fire Department responded to the call, which came in at about 3:30 p.m.
Witnesses told CHBC News the pilot was seen making practice landing attempts for some time, despite increased boat traffic in the area.
“He had no apparent injuries. He was a little shaken up,” one witness tells CHBC News. “He had no bruising. He was more shaken up than anything. He was very coherent. He was concerned about the welfare of the plane.”
The plane has been tied to two docks along the shore of Okanagan Lake by Okanagan Centre. Crews are expected to pull the aircraft out of the water on Monday.
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