Plane crashes into Richmond apartment building

BREAKING:

ryan nadel, thanks for getting this story out so quickly. It will now show up on the home page for four hours. If new developments justify it, I'll renew this flag for another cycle.

Ryan: Use http://www.nowpublic.com/emergencies/small-plane-crashes-richmond-hi-rise on your home page.

I'm updating the story a lot more frequently. 

Really, Ryan?

Rather than putting my story on the front pag, which has tons more and constantly-updated information, NowPublic is going to simply use the photos I've uploaded for its own story?

 :-( 

good stuff:

ryan nadel, Good stuff.

Here is an Update 

Building hitOne killed, two injured after plane slams into Richmond highrise: RCMPVancouver SunPublished: Friday, October 19, 2007

One person is dead and two people injured after a small plane crashed into a Richmond downtown highrise, said RCMP.

Cpl. Rob Vermeulen said the plane crashed through the windows
of a ninth-floor apartment in the glass and concrete building at 8297 Saba Road, just after 4 p.m.

"The plane is still currently inside," he said, adding police are in the final stages of evacuating the building.

He said they need to get everyone out because of the risk of fire associated with aviation fuel.

A woman is shown in her apartment after a small plane crashed into her Richmond highrise this afternoon.

"It's believed that there were two people in the plane," Vermeulen said. "Their conditions are unknown at this point."

The Transportation Safety Board later said only the pilot was onboard.

Cpl. Nycki Basra said earlier that the cause of the crash is unknown.

Ambulances,
firefighters and police are on scene and Basra is encouraging members
of the public to stay back so they can deal with the situation.
Evacuated residents, meanwhile, are nearby standing in the constant
rain and cold, watching emergency personnel work.

The plane, a Piper Seneca twin-engine, departed from the south runway at Vancouver International Airport at
4:02 pm and was headed to Pitt Meadows, said Kate Donegani, a spokesperson for the airport authority.

"I
work at the top floor of the VanCity Tower (Westminster & No. 3
Road).  I saw the plane a moment before it crashed into the building, "
said Jonathan Jeon, who wrote in to The Vancouver Sun.
 
"The
plane was heading eastbound about less than 1,000 feet altitude, and
suddenly banked right at [a]] 45-degree angle. It missed the VanCity
Tower and subjugated apartment building by a very little margin, and
dove away at very high speed. Then we heard the loud boom... there was
almost no fire from the building or impact point it hit. Seems like the
pilot burned away all the fuel."

Bob McAfee, who works at an accounting business nearby, said he didn't believe a plane had crashed "until I saw the hole."

"I
heard a large crash that was probably the plane crash. I saw some
pretty urgent moving emergency vehicles. When I saw the cop car do what
appeared to be an 80k drift in front of our little street here ... the
crowd was gathering so I went up and had a look and there's a big hole
there," he said.

William Kwong lives in the building across from the one hit.

"I
did not see it exactly, but I felt the blow," he said. "I was sitting
in my main room watching TV and I felt there was something flying over
my head. Then, all of a sudden there was a bang. And I thought
something was hitting my building. Then when I looked out, it was the
other building opposite to me which was involved."

The Piper Seneca V is a small twin-engine aircraft. It seats six, one pilot and five passengers, according to newpiper.com.

The
plane's maximum cruising speed is 404 kilometres an hour and can carry
a maximum of 2,138 kilograms. It can fly up to 7,500 metres and has a
wingspan 11.9 metres.

The Seneca V retails for $756,500. It carries six fuel tanks and a maximum of 462 litres of usable fuel.

YW Vinnie

 This is what NowPublic is about -- keeping its readers informed with up-to-the minute breaking stories. Great job Ryan.

October 22, 2007 Update: Family trusted 82-year-old veteran pilotCatherine Rolfsen and Sunny Freeman,
Vancouver SunPublished: Monday, October 22, 2007

METRO VANCOUVER - The family of Peter Garrison, the 82-year-old pilot
who died Friday after crashing into a Richmond highrise, has spoken out
to defend his flying abilities.

 "It's important, I think, that everybody knows that we had 110 per cent
... faith in Peter's flying ability. He was a superb pilot," said his
stepdaughter Micheline Chavigny, who is acting as spokeswoman for the
family.
Chavigny, herself a student pilot, said she flew with her stepfather in
his plane on Sunday, Oct. 14.

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 Just five days later, Garrison crashed
the Piper Seneca twin-engine plane into a ninth floor condominium unit
at Rosario Gardens.
Two condo residents were injured and about 140 residents of the
building were forced from their homes.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b360263e-7a27-4940-861f-719abd4d55e4&k=37840