Thunder Bay curler Rick Lang was injured after a plane he and fellow curlers Krista McCarville and Ashley Sippala were in crashed in Dryden.
McCarville told our newsroom they were on a Bearskin Airlines flight that was taking off from the Dryden Airport Monday afternoon. She says the plane was travelling down the runway when the pilot reported he had “no steering and no brakes.”
McCarville says the plane then skidded into a snowbank and the propeller pierced through the plane’s fuselage striking Lang in the hand. Lang was treated and released from the hospital and is going to be driven back to Thunder Bay on Tuesday.
McCarville and Sippala were being driven back to the city late Monday night. McCarville says she was not hurt.
Dryden authorities say there were six passengers and two crew on board at the time. They confirm there were no life-threatening injuries.
After consultation with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the OPP conducted a preliminary examination. The cause of the crash is not yet determined. The TSB will be continuing their investigation. The plane, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner was en route to Sioux Lookout, from Dryden.
McCarville says it was lucky the accident did not happen 20 seconds later implying it could have been much worse.
Lang was part of two world curling championship rinks and three that represented northern Ontario at the brier.
McCarville and Lang were on their way back from the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Saskatchewan.
