Student Pilot Seriously Injured in Plane Crash Near Fredericton

A young pilot was in serious condition after his plane crashed in a wooded area outside Fredericton, New Brunswick late Tuesday night.

The small plane came down shortly before 11:00 p.m. in a wooded area along Route 10 about 20 kilometers east of the city, according to the Fredericton Fire Department. The trainee pilot was flying out of the Fredericton campus of the Moncton Flight College and was the only one on board.

The 22-year-old pilot was able crawl out of the wreckage and use his cell phone to call for help. Rescuers honed in on the phone’s GPS signal to locate the crash site, about 2.5 kilometers from the highway in the Noonan area.

RCMP and volunteers on snowmobiles and off-road vehicles assisted in the search, dealing with frigid temperatures overnight. The injured pilot was reportedly found about two hours after the crash.

The young man reportedly suffered possible broken bones, a back injury and cuts and bruises. He was airlifted via helicopter to the Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton early Wednesday and was listed in serious but stable condition.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.