Victims of fatal plane crash near Mission identified

Updated 11:10 a.m.: The victims have been identified as Patrick Lobsinger, 70, of Surrey and Donn Hubble, 60, of Langley. Lobsinger was a passenger, while Hubble was a pilot in one of the two planes.

The other pilot — who safely landed his aircraft — is Paul Knapp, 57, of Pitt Meadows.

MISSION (NEWS1130) – Two people have been killed after two small planes collided in mid-air near Mission yesterday afternoon.

This morning, Mounties are hoping to get a better look at the wreckage in the Deroche area. The crash happened around 4:15 p.m., when one plane landed in a field and the other ended up upside down in the Nicomen Slough.

“When the police arrived, them, [fire crews] and some of the locals actually waded out into the slough and pulled the individuals from the plane,” says RCMP Sergeant Miriam Dickson. “One was unfortunately already deceased.”

A second person was taken to hospital by helicopter, and later died.

Matt Johnson saw one of the planes go down. His fiancée saw the same planes flying nearby before the crash. “Two planes that were doing stunt-like maneuvers, flying low to the water, doing loop-de-loops and things of that nature.”

Some witnesses reported seeing four planes flying in a two-plus-two formation before the crash. The area is apparently a popular pilot training ground without tower communication.

Dave called us to say he had a close call at the same place a few years ago. “I looked up and saw this airplane banking hard right, and I bank hard right… Just from the flash of his wings, we saw each other. I don’t know how close we were, [but] we were fairly close.”

Transportation Safety Board

The Transportation Safety Board was only able to inspect one of the two Cessna 150s involved in last night’s crash. They got a look at the plane that landed safely in a farmer’s field.

Two investigators, with flashlights, notepads, and backpacks full of equipment in hand, inspected as best they could. As for the other plane, which is sitting in about a metre of water, the TSB tells us it will stay there for some time yet.

“There isn’t much current there at this time of the year and they’re hoping that it won’t have moved much by the time they get to it,” says Bill Yearwood with the TSB.

Kim Seale’s close calls

Kim Seale in the News1130 Air Patrol was first on the scene of the accident. The crash hit her pretty hard, bringing back memories of her own close calls.

She explains, “It’s a horrible, horrible feeling.”

Seale tells us in the eight years she’s been flying over Metro Vancouver, she’s had two close calls of her own with her pilot. “One above the Lions Gate Bridge, the other one was right around Highway 1 at Brunette.”

“I’m so happy and lucky to have pilots that have taken care of me both of those times,” she says. “When they both happened to us, we basically didn’t even talk for the rest of the shift; we just did our jobs, landed, and went home.”

“It’s a horrible, horrible feeling,” she says.

Seale adds normally, you count on the airport tower to let you know when there’s another plane at the same elevation or coming towards you. But in some parts of Metro Vancouver, it can be very scary with limited communication, and inexperienced pilots can be mixed with those who do have experience.

“The Fraser River from the Massey Tunnel to the Highway 1/Brunette area, there’s basically no talking,” she explains. “So, you can have inexperienced pilots up there, just trying to get their hours in to keep their licenses active.”

Videos courtesy the BC RCMP.