Pilots Land Burning Plane, Saving Lacrosse Team After 1976 Championship Win

On September 7, 1976, the Vernon Lodge Tigers lacrosse team faced a harrowing ordeal when their aircraft caught fire during their return journey from Winnipeg, where they had just secured the Canadian Senior “B” Presidents Cup. The team's triumphant flight took a dramatic turn after a refueling stop in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Shortly after departing Lethbridge, a fire erupted in the rear of the plane, near the lavatory. Pilot Barry Lapointe and co-pilot Bill Jurome responded with immediate action, contacting Calgary International Airport for guidance. Despite initial advice to land at Pincher Creek Airport, the rapid spread of the fire necessitated a more urgent decision. Pilot Lapointe executed a critical, split-second maneuver, bringing the aircraft down in an open field, descending approximately 12,000 feet in under four minutes to mitigate smoke inhalation for the passengers. All on board miraculously survived the emergency landing, which was later praised by players and RCMP as an exceptionally skillful feat.

Following the successful emergency landing, the fire intensified, consuming the aircraft and most of the team's equipment. Remarkably, the most severe injury sustained by any player was a singed pant leg, a testament to the pilots' expertise. The team then endured a 13-hour bus journey back to Vernon, where a planned victory parade had transformed into an anxious wait for their safe return. Though the celebration was more subdued, locals still lined the streets, greeting the team who, ironically, were paraded on a fire truck. The incident remains a significant part of the team's history, with members reflecting on their survival decades later, and the Vernon Tigers subsequently inducted into the Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame.