Five people sent to hospital after crash at Abbotsford, B.C., airport

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Five people are in hospital, including one in critical condition, after a 1930's era biplane crashed during take off Saturday at the Abbotsford International Airport in British Columbia.

Jadene Mah, a spokesperson for the Abbotsford International Airshow, said in an email to The Canadian Press that the vintage aircraft had a pilot and four passengers on board when it crashed on the runway at 5:30 p.m., shortly after the show had ended.

Mah said all five were transported to hospital by both road and air — one in critical condition, one serious and the others with non-life threatening injuries.

Mah noted that because the airshow had just wrapped up for the day, emergency resources were still in place and able to respond immediately.

Airshow officials had said in an earlier Facebook post that the aircraft — a deHaviland Dragon Rapide — was operated by a museum, offering member flights.

Mah said the Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, and that the Airshow will proceed as scheduled on Sunday.