Last Updated: Friday, July 10, 2009 | 6:51 PM PT Comments64Recommend142

CBC News

Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board and the RCMP confer at the crash site in Richmond, B.C. (Canadian Press)The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says turbulence may have been a factor in a fiery plane crash that killed two pilots Thursday night in Richmond, B.C.

TSB spokesperson Bill Yearwood said the twin-engine PA-31 Piper Navajo disappeared off the radar about four kilometers from Vancouver International Airport during its final approach.

The plane was carrying donated blood on a routine weekly flight from Victoria when it nosedived into a parking lot behind the IKEA store in the 12000 block of Vickers Way in Richmond at about 10:15 p.m. PT.

The plane slammed into the ground, exploded and burned, leaving little wreckage to examine.

Yearwood said it's too early to speculate about what brought the plane down, but investigators will check whether a large Airbus 321 ahead of the Navajo created turbulence for the smaller aircraft.

Canadian Blood Services confirmed the aircraft was on a routine weekly flight, transporting donated blood from Vancouver Island to Vancouver for processing. The agency said blood from the national bank will offset the blood lost in the crash.

A picture from the company's website of a PA-31 Piper Navajo. (Courtesy Canadian Air Charters website)

The plane, built in the U.S. in 1979, was most recently owned by Canadian Air Charters. A man who answered the phone at the company's Richmond headquarters said the company's thoughts are with the families of the two men who died in the crash.

The plane was about eight kilometres away from the airport and had been cleared for landing when the control tower lost contact, officials said.

The model of plane carries two crew and up to six passengers. Officials have not yet commented on how many people were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash.
'Very fortunate'

Assistant RCMP Supt. Peter German said police believe the two men who died were the only people in the aircraft.

The names of the victims have not yet been released.

Police are not aware of anyone on the ground being injured, German said.

"We're very lucky, very fortunate," German said.

Fast-food restaurants, big box stores and residential townhouses are also near the scene.

Witness reports indicate the plane was flying very low over the area before it nosedived into the ground and burst into flames about 15 metres high.

"There was a bang, and our house shook, lights flickered, and there was a big cloud of smoke," said Christine Malcolm, who lives nearby.

The crash also affected hydro poles near the scene.

RCMP Insp. Janis Gray said police are asking anyone who took video or photographs of the crash to bring them in.

"We're hopeful that we can get more information from them," Gray said.

Police, fire and rescue officials, emergency health services and BC Hydro responded to the scene.

City officials said the crash does not pose a danger to residents living in the area, but they have asked that people avoid using streets in the region, including Bridgeport Way.

The crash has also not affected the status of flights at the airport.