A plane that took off from Pitt Meadows Regional Airport Monday morning crashed later in Powell River, killing the pilot, a Coquitlam resident.
Powell River RCMP said the plane crashed into a small wooded area behind an apartment block. “Initial investigation, as well as eyewitness accounts, suggest the small twin-engine plane… was shaking from side to side as it flew over the apartment building. The aircraft spiralled once before hitting the ground. There was no fire or smoke reported,” said the RCMP.
The pilot, who was found dead inside the Twin Comanche, was David Thomas Tetarenko, 54, of Coquitlam.
Const. Kerri Chard of Powell River RCMP said the pilot may have directed the plane to the area to spare any other loss of life. Transportation Safety Board officials arrived within two to three hours, she added.
According to captain Dave Bowes of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, the pilot was flying the private plane into Powell River to pick up some passengers when the plane crashed.
