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Small plane crashes on Russ Baker

Drivers dive into burning fuselage to help

"It was like a scene from a movie."

That was the breathless words from the mouth of a hero known only as "Steve."

He was one of several motorists who rushed from their cars to save stricken passengers from the burning wreckage of a small aircraft, which had dropped from the sky in front of them and crash-landed on Russ Baker Way around 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Moments before, Steve and fellow drivers had watched in horror as the twin-turboprop, thought to be carrying eight people, "hit the road" about 300 feet shy of runway 26 near YVR's south terminal.

"The plane hit, then slid along the road, part of the engine flew off. We were all pulling people out of the plane," he told media.

Early reports were that all the passengers, thought to be six or seven, were pulled to safety by the drivers as emergency services arrived at the incredible scene. It wasn't clear if the pilot was among the survivors.

Within a few minutes, the twisted fuselage, which had been spewing thick plumes of black smoke, was engulfed in a deluge of fire retardant foam.

And roads and bridges within a few miles of the crash site were shut off as emergency services dealt with the incident.

It's not yet clear why the plane came down, but eye witnesses report the plane "nose-diving" before trying to make an emergency landing on Russ Baker Way.

Check out www.richmond-news.com for the latest on this story.

If you were one of the eyewitnesses or one of the heroes who pulled the passengers to safety, contact the News at 604 249 3342 or email us editor@richmond-news.com.