Photo: CTV

Photo: Contributed

Vernon's Flying car 'Maverick'

4:30 update:

Flying car owner says he's OK and he's not giving up on The Maverick.

Ray Siebring told Castanet about Friday morning's ill-fated flight.

"Lots of adventure today," says Siebring, "It might have been the wind or something mechanical, but all of a sudden we were in a spiral heading sharp left so we adjusted sharp right. When we stopped the spin we were too low and had to go in for the landing."

Maverick, the flying car, crashed into a fence and a tree near Ellison Elementary School in Vernon.

"Thankfully no one was in the field. We tried to steer clear of the population and away from where kids were, that's why we ended up at the back of the field."

The Maverick clipped the fence surround the school before it hit the trees. Siebring says his passenger was able to walk away form the crash, he was not so lucky.

"I ended up getting some cuts on my face. It looks like I was in a bar fight."

The flying car pilot is not giving up on his dream to use these units to help get aid and supplies to poor villages around the world.

"We're going to find out what happened and fix this."

Siebring says he should be back in the air with Maverick next spring.

11:30 a.m. : Vernon's flying car has crashed in trees directly behind Ellison Elementary School. 

Cliff Lannon says, "Ellison students were just minutes from heading to the sports fields beside the crash site.  No students or teachers are hurt and EMT are plucking the pilot from the tree."

Lannon says the pilot was conscious and he spoke with school staff, a passenger was also rescued form the tree.

Gordon Molendyk, RCMP spokesperson says, "Emergency personnel were called to Fulton Rd. for a report of an Ultra lite airplane crash landing into the trees along Vernon creek next to Ellison School. There were two people on board the pilot from Kelowna and a relative. The aircraft had just taken off from the Vernon Airport and appeared to be returning for an approach back to the airport when it got into trouble and crashed into the trees. The pilot and one passenger were taken to Vernon hospital with not life threatening injuries."

The aircraft is an experimental type aircraft called the Maverick; it is a car with an aircraft engine on the back that has a fabric wing like a paraglider that allows it to fly.

The Transportation Safety Board will be attending to investigate

Click here to see our story on 'The Maverick when it came to Kelowna.

If you have video or photos send them to [email protected]

Here is our video from a few weeks ago.