Authorities Continue To Investigate After Plane Crashes On Road

Investigations are continuing after one man died and eight other people were injured when a Beechcraft King Air 100 plane crashed close to Vancouver International Airport last week.

The Northern Thunderbird Air-operated flight came down on a road and hit a car when it was attempting to return to the airport on Thursday (October 27th)

It was originally bound for Kelowna but pilots chose to turn the plane, carrying eight passengers, around after reporting problems with the oil pressure gauge.  Pilot Luc Fortin died following the crash, while eight others were injured and taken to Vancouver General Hospital for treatment.

Representatives from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board are now working to determine the cause of the fatal plane crash.

Specialist aviation lawyers at Irwin Mitchell act for people who have suffered serious injury in air accidents in the UK and abroad, as well as the families of those killed in such incidents.

Jim Morris, former RAF pilot and Partner in the firm’s Aviation Law team, said: “Answers are clearly needed over what caused this terrible and tragic air crash, so we hope that authorities are able to work quickly to determine both what happened and how such an incident could be avoided in the future.

“There are a range of factors which will need to be considered, including the worrying reports that an apparent technical issue may have been the original reason for the flight to return to Vancouver International Airport.

“This raises serious flight safety concerns that any mechanical fault may have wider repercussions and potentially impact on other Beechcraft King Air 100 aircraft. 

“As a twin engine aircraft, the Beechcraft should have had no difficulty returning to the airfield on one engine if the other engine was failing due to low oil pressure.  If a technical problem (or problems) caused this catastrophic accident it is fundamental that a real understanding can be gained with a view to both providing reassurances that the same problems will not be seen again and making improvements to flight safety in general.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and families of this tragedy.”