Airplane into building in Richmond.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:36 pm

The radio is saying an airplane has hit a building in Richmond around the seventh floor.

CD · Post by CD » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:37 pm

BREAKING NEWS: Plane crashes into Richmond apartment building

Friday, October 19 - 04:14:35 PM

News1130 Staff
RICHMOND (NEWS1130) - A small plane, possibly a cessna has crashed into a Richmond apartment building near Garden City Way and Westminster highway. Preliminary information from eye witnesses calling News1130 say it struck the building around the 6th floor, exploding, and sending a great deal of debris to the street below. News1130 has a reporter en route to the scene, and will provide complete coverage as this story develops.

CD · Post by CD » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:41 pm

News1130 Staff
RICHMOND (NEWS1130) - A small plane has crashed into an apartment building in Richmond along Saba Road and Cooney, just off Westminster Highway. Marsha Downham called News1130 and says police and fire crews have just arrived, and it looks as if there are people inside the building. "We did see a hand wave from inside the apartment building because it went directly into the apartment building."

Judy lives in the building next door and says she was concerned when she saw the plane flying so low.

"I saw the plane flying really low and I turned to my mom and I said 'man that plane is low and then boom, it went into the building."

No word if there are any injuries at this time.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:14 pm

The TV is nothing but coverage of this and they have no idea of what happened, however they are saying it was a twin engine Seneca that had just took off from YVR to Pitt Meadows.

Dash-Ate · Post by **Dash-Ate** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:16 pm

Pratt · Post by **Pratt** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:17 pm

Watching the news right now. Saying it was a Seneca that just departed YVR. Hit the Rosario Gardens apartment building at Saba and Cooney road. No word on the number of people involved yet.

C-GPFG · Post by **C-GPFG** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:23 pm

Bad news.

The reporter on CBC just said "Richmond Virginia, which is located near the Vancouver airport"

SkyWolfe · Post by **SkyWolfe** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:24 pm

Shit, i hope everyone is okay... thats just so scary, omg...

Switchfoot · Post by **Switchfoot** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:33 pm

I'm in YVR right now and it's all over the news. Police helicopter circling crash site. EMS everywhere.

No word on injuries or people on board.

Hopefully everyone is okay.

Switchfoot.

C-FABH · Post by **C-FABH** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:18 pm

Global reporting it is a Piper Seneca as well. Supposed to be a police news conference shortly.

boeingboy · Post by **boeingboy** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:22 pm

Global news just reported TSB indicates 1 fatality and 1 POB. They were not saying wether the fatality is the pilot or the apartment owner - who was apparently in the apartment.

Pratt · Post by **Pratt** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:32 pm

Global now saying 1 dead, presumed to be the pilot and 2 injured in the apartment building, 1 serious the other minor.

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:52 pm

Dammit.... not a good week for aviation on the coast.

And great, I talk to one newspaper person and now all of a sudden I have CBC calling me at my home......

"Is there anything you can tell us about these planes??? are they safe?? Can you tell us that on-air? Wed like to talk to you about how you feel when you hear about these kinds of things...."

She seemed rather pissed off when I said I didn't really have anything to say.

Justwannafly · Post by **Justwannafly** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:44 pm

Rumour @ the Esso Avitat is that its PA-34-200 C-GHFD

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:49 pm

How can you possibly stuff a Seneca into an apartment building and have anyone survive it?

Looks like a direct hit - what a strange thing to happen.........

rsandor · Post by **rsandor** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:50 pm

I'm not usually a betting man, but from what I've read, heard, and seen, I'd wager a good chunk of money that he/she ran out of gas. To crash into a building like that and have almost zero fire damage... I'm absolutely amazed that there isn't more "black" in the building.. I know it was raining pretty hard during the morning.. but still..

"Is there anything you can tell us about these planes??? are they safe?? Can you tell us that on-air? Wed like to talk to you about how you feel when you hear about these kinds of things...."

I would have said: "What kind of a stupid fucking question is that? Are they safe? OF COURSE THEY'RE SAFE YOU DUMB SENSATIONALIST BITCH." I would've gone on air just so that I can tell everyone not to buy into the bullshit that small planes are unsafe.

.300 Weatherby Mag · Post by **.300 Weatherby Mag** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:58 pm

rsandor wrote:I'm not usually a betting man, but from what I've read, heard, and seen, I'd wager a good chunk of money that he/she ran out of gas. To crash into a building like that and have almost zero fire damage... I'm absolutely amazed that there isn't more "black" in the building.. I know it was raining pretty hard during the morning.. but still..

"Is there anything you can tell us about these planes??? are they safe?? Can you tell us that on-air? Wed like to talk to you about how you feel when you hear about these kinds of things...."
I would have said: "What kind of a stupid fucking question is that? Are they safe? OF COURSE THEY'RE SAFE YOU DUMB SENSATIONALIST BITCH." I would've gone on air just so that I can tell everyone not to buy into the bullshit that small planes are unsafe.

Here, Here! Fucking press are usless as tits on a bull. I see the engine sputter witness was there as per usual.

Sad to see another accident.

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:24 pm

Looks like a couple of firefighters in there having a knees-up in the kitchen. Not much a/c junk lying about - must all be in the broom closet. Maybe it wasn't an airplane at all but a Toyota Supra or, I know, a missile!

How the f*ck do you lose control so badly that you smoke it into an apartment block?

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:37 pm

How the f*ck do you lose control so badly that you smoke it into an apartment block?

There were a lot of witnesses who said the same thing, the gear was down and it was in a steep nose down turn..one witness was a pilot / instructor...so if an engine quit that would explain it.

But why would the gear be down that long after lift off?

Pratt · Post by **Pratt** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:38 pm

CBC was just saying that TSB says there were 2 in the plane, the pilot died the pax is OK. And still the 2 from the apartment.

snoopy · Post by **snoopy** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:12 pm

http://www.cbc.ca/bc/features/richmond-plane-crash/

Looking at the map, whatever happened was likely not that long after departure off if either 08 or 12 were used.

altiplano · Post by **altiplano** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:22 pm

Aircraft rarely use 12 for departure out of YVR. I would think they were off of 08R.

I hope they didn't lose it trying to turn back - they were only 1 block away from a big field on the east side off Garden City.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=firef ... &z=16&om=1

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:28 pm

Does the Seneca, like the Arrow, have an automatic gear extender?
I flew a Seneca 2 many moons ago and I cannot remember.
If it was a Seneca 2, it would be turbocharged and one thing I do remember about the airplane was that it had excellent OEI performance.

200hr Wonder · Post by **200hr Wonder** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:43 pm

I flew a Seneca 3 a fair bit when I did my multi.

The 2 I believe came in two flavors the 220 and the 220T one being turboed the other naturally aspirated, now i could be wrong about that, I do however know for sure that the 1 was naturally aspirated and had crap for single engine performance. The 3 that I flew had decent single engine and had turbos on it.

Looking at the map looks like ATC may have given a right turn to ZBB putting them over where they where. Essentially sending them over the Deas tunnel. If they where headed to Pitt, I don't think they would have been turned.

At any rate this is way way too close to home, I know quite a few Seneca drivers out of the Vancouver area...

GottaFly · Post by **GottaFly** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:45 pm

If in fact that is C-GHFD, i witnessed it fly into the fence at Pitt Meadows on the approach to 26L about a year and a half ago. I've since met the owner of the aircraft and i sincerely hope he wasn't on board at the time of this accident. My deepest regrets and appologies go to the family.