Glider crashes onto Langley building
Posted September 8, 2013 10:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LANGLEY (NEWS1130) – Fire officials say the emergency response and rescue of the pilot went smoothly after a glider carrying a cadet pilot went down in Langley at around 10 a.m.
The young man dodged trees, other buildings and numerous power lines before crashing on top of a convenience store complex at 56th and 208th.
The store was open at the time of the crash, but no one was in the apartments above the store.
Langley’s Deputy Fire Chief Bob Scott says he breathed a sigh of relief when he found out it was a glider involved in the crashed.
“From our perspective where the aircraft sat down was the safest place, certainly for us to operate from, and it didn’t appear to jeopardize anyone on the ground.”
Scott claims the young pilot must have done everything he could in the final moments before the crash.
“Once our firefighters were on scene and were able to to confirm the fact that it was a glider, and there were no power lines involved, no fuel leakage, we were able to stabilize the situation quite quickly.”
Christine Macdonald says she was sitting in her condo on the third floor when she heard the crash.
“It sounded like metal being dropped from a construction site, you know, when they drop something from a high height. Right away, within minutes, emergency vehicles were coming. We came down and saw the plane had crashed.”
Macdonald says the pilot was taken away on a stretcher.
“He looked like he was still awake, you know, he was holding his hand or his hat up or something.”
The young pilot was rushed to hospital, and is expected to recover.
The Royal Canadian Air Force and Transport Canada are taking over the investigation.
