UPDATE: Pilot survives small plane crash on highway near Osoyoos

OSOYOOS – A pilot is burned but alive following a small plane crashed on Highway 97 near Osoyoos and then burst into flames earlier this evening.

As of 8 p.m., Tuesday, July 7, emergency crews have left the scene of the small plane crash but the highway remains closed, according to Osoyoos Fire Chief Rick Jones.

“We had a plane crash on Highway 97, just south of 122 Avenue. He came down, apparently tried to land, but clipped a semi that was going down the highway. He missed a couple of other things, then hit a pole and caught on fire. He got out of the plane, but suffered some burns. He’s in Oliver Hospital, but I understand he’s going to be shipped to Vancouver,” Jones says.

Jones says RCMP are now in charge of the scene and the highway remains closed while they await arrival of investigators from the Ministry of Transport. Motorists driving through Osoyoos should turn on 134th Avenue and go down 87th Street into town.

The Osoyoos Fire Department was on scene for approximately two hours. Fortis B.C. and Telus also attended to take care of lines affected by the crash. Jones says he understood the pilot’s wife attended the scene after hearing him fly over. He also says he heard the plane had just recently departed Oliver Airport, but could not confirm that.

We will have more information as it becomes available.

@GlobalOkanagan photo of plane crash hwy 97 north Osoyoos pic.twitter.com/uMmYHNmxZx

— Brenda (@trevblu) July 8, 2015

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was updated at 8:05 p.m., July 7, 2015 with new information from the Osoyoos fire chief.