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.

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