1 dead after plane with family on board crashes on Sunshine Coast

A family'saerial sightseeing trip ended in tragedy Thursday afternoon when their small plane crashed, killing the pilot.

Four members of a family were on-board the plane Thursday afternoon when it went downnear Sechelt, about 60 km north of Vancouver on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, according to an RCMPspokesperson.

Const. Karen Whitbysaid the family planned to check out local scenery, but the aircraft lost power shortly after takeoff and crashed in a ravine.

The pilot, an adult male, was killed. The surviving passengers were described as an adult male, a teenaged girl and a boy aboutfour years old.

"There were actually family members at the airport that saw it happen," Whitby said.

Whitbysaid the survivors were able to free themselves,walkto a nearby home and call911. Emergency personnelrushed to the scene around 2:50 p.m. PT.

Recovery mission

SecheltFire Department Assistant Chief Dwight Davisonsaidhis crews were waiting forRCMPapproval before removing thedeceased pilotfrom the wreckage.

"We have gone from a rescue mode now to a recovery mode," Davison said.

RCMPsaid in a tweet the crash occurred near Selma Park, which the District ofSecheltdescribes as a residential area near the waterfront.

Davisonsays the plane, a single-enginePiperCherokee 140, took off from Sechelt-Gibsons Airport. The plane was privately owned, he said.

It crashed in a heavily wooded area, he reported, 1 kilometres north of the airport.

Hazardous scene

Davisonsaid the passengerswere taken to hospital. RCMPsaid in a statement their injuries are minor.

He said 15 firefighters are at the crash scene, along with personnel from Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue, B.C.Ambulance and Sunshine Coast RCMP.

Responders had to deal with leaking fluids from the plane and contend with its unstable landing position, Davisonsaid, adding there was never any fire related to the crash.

Whitby said the pilot's next of kin havebeen notified as has the federal Transportation Safety Board.

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