Skip to content

Two dead in crash of 'homebuilt amphibious' plane near Merritt, B.C.

MERRITT, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Police say two people are dead after an amateur-built plane crashed north of the Merritt, B.C. airport, about 270 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.
8260f479c8a3fa746baa27c16effe753e7c967b8a957543550f916087f1099cb
The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

MERRITT, BRITISH COLUMBIA — Police say two people are dead after an amateur-built plane crashed north of the Merritt, B.C. airport, about 270 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

Merritt RCMP say emergency personnel responded to a report of the crash on Sunday evening and found the pilot and passenger had died.

The Mounties describe the two-seat aircraft as being "homebuilt" and "amphibious."

The say the plane was two kilometres from the airport when it went down east of Highway 5A.

The Transportation Safety Board said it would deploy a team of investigators to look into the crash.

The board says the plane was a Coot A amphibian plane, which is capable of landing on water and land.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.

The Canadian Press