Merritt RCMP are investigating after a local man in his 60s was seriously injured in a small plane crash at the Merritt Airport in the south-central Interior of B.C. early Monday morning.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said at 12:14 a.m. police received a report of a missing person.
The initial investigation led a front-line officer to the Merritt Airport east of the city, where he discovered the wreckage of a small white and green plane on the tarmac.
The officer located the missing man entrapped inside the single-occupant aircraft and immediately called the Merritt fire department and BC Emergency Health Services for assistance, police said.
Emergency crews extricated the pilot, a Merritt man in his 60s, who was rushed to hospital with serious injuries. His current condition is unknown.
RCMP have notified Transport Canada officials of the aviation incident.
The investigation into what factors led to this incident is in its very early stages,
O’Donaghey said.
RCMP will continue to support Transport Canada, who is also investigating.
City of Merritt chief administrative officer Scott Hildebrand said the municipality owns, operates and maintains the small airport.
He said the pilot is a new resident to the city of Merritt and his plane arrived at the airport recently on a flatbed truck.
Hildebrand said pilots “use the facility on their own” while the city maintains the site.
“The City of Merritt Airport is non-towered airport, so flight planning is coordinated through the NAV Canada Flight Information Centre in Kamloops,” Hildebrand said.
However, Nav Canada spokesperson Brian Boudreau said it has “no information” about the flight in question.
The City of Merritt said that 0.4 cm of snow accumulation was measured at the airport on Saturday and the airport was plowed by city crews that morning.
“This type of news is never easy to hear. My heart goes out to the person involved and his family,” said mayor Linda Brown.
“On behalf of Council, I would like to thank our Public Works and Fire Rescue Departments, the Merritt RCMP, B.C. Ambulance Services and NAV Canada, for their work in responding as quickly as possible once we became aware of the incident.”
Hildebrand said the city is also looking into whether or not the pilot filed a flight plan.
Witnesses are asked to call the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.
The airport was reopened at 3:00 p.m. on Monday.