At least two people rescued after plane crash near Ottawa Airport

It was around 6.00 pm. Thursday evening when Sam Hickman returned home from work. He began unpacking his truck, getting ready for a relaxing long weekend. Then, suddenly, he heard a loud crash overhead. 

“It sounded like construction equipment falling over or something bad happening. So I started down the street thinking that one of my neighbours who's been doing a bit of work this week had an accident,” Hickman told the Ottawa Lookout. “But about halfway down the street someone yelled that a plane had fallen. I immediately called 911, who said they were already on their way. 

First responders arrived about 10 minutes later. They found a small Grumman AA-5A aircraft with three people on board that had fallen into trees. It was hanging about 20 feet from the ground. 

Two people — a man and a woman — were rescued and were transported to hospital by ambulance escorted by police. Both are listed in stable condition. As of 9:00 pm last night, the third person, believed to be the pilot, was still trapped. Hickman said it didn’t look good. 

Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick DeFazio told reporters Thursday evening during a press conference that the plane struck hydro wires as it fell from the sky. Crews were unable to start extracting people until the power was first cut off by Hydro Ottawa crews. 

“Firefighters had to deal with a very complex situation to do the extrication. The plane was stable in the tree, but we performed the extrication from one of our aerial ladders,” said DeFazio. “We have two types of aerial ladders, one that's just a ladder at the end, which is a stick ladder, and then one that is a bucket. They used a bucket ladder, they were inside the bucket using our extrication tools to extricate the occupants.”

Ottawa Airport Fire Service was also on scene and was providing foam to be used on the fuel that was leaking from the plane. Ottawa Fire’s water rescue team was deployed with the hazardous materials team to set up booms in the Rideau River to contain the spill. 

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) was deployed to look into what caused the crash. During a press conference, spokesperson Nic Defalco was unable to provide many details, but said the plane was making a landing at the airport when it struck the power lines. 

“Investigators are on site. There'll be interviewing witnesses and examining the site, and looking at the wreckage to see what they gather tonight,” he said. 

 Hickman, who is used to hearing planes fly overhead, said it’s not common to see that type of plane land there. 

“It didn't sound like a normal plane, because I can usually hear them coming. And that one, I didn't hear coming,” said Hickman. “This runway is not used as much. It is less frequently used just because of the wind patterns in Ottawa. And when it does get used, it's normally commercially.”

Riverside Drive between Hunt Club and Riverside Road remained closed for much of the evening, but have since reopened. The Ottawa Airport says its operations have not been impacted by the incident.