The last word Richmond businessman Kelly Jablonski shouted before a deadly Richmond plane crash almost four weeks ago was "F---!"
"I was one of the loudest screamers. I kind of said the F-word," Jablonski, 38, admitted Wednesday.
He was among seven passengers who survived the crash of a twin-turboprop Beachcraft King aircraft on Oct. 27. Pilot Luc Fortin and co-pilot Matt Robic died.
After undergoing spinal surgery to fuse four vertebrae together, Jablonski is resting at his Richmond home, still sore from 10 fractured ribs and burns to his legs.
"The ribs are the most painful. they affect the whole torso," he said.
But Jablonski, who is CEO of the Ultimate Skateboard Distribution company, which distributes equipment to several hundred Canadian stores, has recovered sufficiently to talk about the day's events.
Jablonski is a frequent flyer who trusts in the crew's ability to do their jobs, but he has "typical anxieties" about getting into airplanes.
"I don't enjoy landings. I'm always a little bit hesitant. I grab the armrests," he said.
However, "everything about the flight seemed normal," he said.
Jablonski had a good view of the instrument panel as the aircraft climbed away from Vancouver into a clear-blue sky towards Kelowna.
"We had reached 15,000 feet when the pilot announced we had a small oil leak and would be returning to Vancouver," he said. "Everyone was calm. We didn't think too much of it."
A few minutes later the plane was perfectly lined up with the runway and "about 10 seconds" away from touchdown when it suddenly veered left and the wing dipped at a "45-degree" angle.
"Everything was very clear. I could watch the grass coming straight towards us. It was like being on a really bad roller-coaster ride. It was literally two seconds to the ground, but there was enough time to panic and think 'oh-no.' The impact was catastrophic," he said.
As he lay in the flaming wreckage, Jablonski couldn't move.
"I was lying on the floor. I could feel the smoke. I could feel the heat burning my legs. I was trying to protect my face and head as much as I could by curling into a ball. Things were not good. It was definitely sheer panic," he said.
His life was saved by a fellow passenger who unbuckled his seatbelt. The freedom allowed him to crawl a short distance away.
A fireman pulled him out a few minutes later.
"I'm very lucky," he said.
The experience has not been life-changing. He doesn't have profound new insights into life, just appreciation for the simple things.
"I'm very thankful to be alive. Things look better. They taste better. Seeing my girlfriend means more because I had a glimpse of it almost being gone. It could have been so much worse," he said.
Jablonski hasn't returned to work yet, but he expects to. Mornings are spent at physio and a nurse comes to his home to change his dressings.
His company is a finalist for the Richmond Chamber of Commerce's business of the year.
One day, he'll fly again.
"It's part of life. It will be difficult, but I have to keep on living," he said.
