232808

Vernon  

Pilot out of hospital

UPDATE 1:20 P.M.

The man who crashed his Cessna 180 float plane northwest of Vernon Monday night has been released from hospital.

Transportation Safety Board spokesman, Bill Yearwood, says he spoke to the pilot, Seth Malmock.

Malmock told him the flight originated in Fort Chipewyan, AB. He made a stop in Prince George before continuing on to Vernon.

He had engine trouble and lost altitude.

According to his Facebook page, Malmock, the owner of the plane, works for McMurray Aviation based out of Fort McMurray, AB.

He lives in Campbell River.

He suffered only minor injuries after the plane crashed.

Yearwood says the TSB will not attend the crash site but may inspect the wreckage once it is removed.

He adds the insurance company is in charge of arranging for the removal of the wreckage.


UPDATE 11:40 A.M. JULY 29

The 52-year-old pilot from the Campbell River area was flying from Northern Alberta to Okanagan Lake where he was planning on landing. The pilot reported the engine stopped and he went down in the trees in an area near Six Mile Creek Rd.

He received non-life threatening injures and was taken to hospital he has since been released. The Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP continue to investigate this case. The Transportation Safety Board will not be attending the crash site but are in contact with the RCMP and the pilot.


UPDATE: 9:10 P.M.

Castanet has confirmed the pilot of a small plane is being transported to hospital after his plane crashed 6km northwest of Vernon.

Lt. Navy Greg Menzies with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria confirmed the discovery shortly after 9 p.m. Monday.

Menzies says a single witness report was made to authorities stating they were concerned about a low flying plane in the area.

The witness then stated hearing two thuds and believed the plane had gone down.

Menzies says two aircraft were dispatched from 19-Wing in Comox, however, both have since been ordered to stand down.

Castanet news editor Trevor Rockliffe says the pilot had been bandaged around the head but was seen walking around.

He was transported by ground to hospital.

The plane is believed to be a Cessna float plane.


Castanet is heading to the scene of what is being reported as a downed airplane in the Westside Road area near Vernon.

Reports are sketchy at the moment, however, Fire Information Officer, Kayla Pepper has confirmed an initial attack crew has been dispatched by the Wildfire Management Branch to the Vernon area.

Pepper says those crews will be assisting local ambulance and firefighting crews with an incident involving an airplane.

RCMP spokesman Gord Molendyk says the reports are, at this time, unconfirmed.

"We are trying desperately to confirm this," says Molendyk.

Molendyk says a search is underway in the Six Mile Creek area off Westside Road after a single report of a plane going down.

RCMP and Vernon Search and Rescue are involved in the search.

More details when they become available.



More Vernon News