Lang arrives at Brier still feeling impact of ‘absolutely frightening’ plane crash

By: Jason Bell Posted: 5:34 PM CST Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 Last Modified: 11:52 PM CST Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 | Updates

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KINGSTON, Ont. — Rick Lang isn’t a nervous flier, but boarding a chartered plane to the Brier less than a week after enduring a harrowing runway crash took all the resolve he could muster Saturday.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/02/2020 (2391 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The curling legend from Thunder Bay is coaching Brad Jacobs of Northern Ontario this week at the Canadian men’s championship and he and his son, Adam, flew from Thunder Bay to Kingston, arriving just in time for the opening ceremonies.

He’s thrilled to be here this weekend, bandaged right hand, emotional scars and all. The Brier has always been his happy place and might even be a cathartic place after last week’s ordeal — a terrifying crash Monday while he and two members of the Northern Ontario women’s team were aboard a Bearskin Airline flight in northwestern Ontario.

Team Northern Ontario coach Rick Lang talks to reporters at the Brier in Kingston, Ont., on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Lang sustained minor injuries in an airplane accident in Dryden, Ont. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press)

But Lang, 66, who won a pair of world men’s titles playing with Al Hackner (1982, ’85), had to get back on a plane and fly to Kingston first. He was scheduled to travel Thursday but delayed the trip by a few days.

“It was fine. My son, Adam, came to hold my hand on the way,” Lang said. “I’m glad I’m here, I’m anxious to get going with Team Jacobs. I didn’t want to go Thursday. I was still feeling that. I was looking at travel options to get here and they were all kind of awkward. I thought about it and thought a direct flight here would be pretty nice and comfortable, the best way to go about it.”

Eight people, including Lang and curlers Krista McCarville and Ashley Sippala, were on the milk-run headed home from the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw, Sask., and were just about to take off from Dryden en route to Sioux Lookout when things literally went sideways.

“We were told we were three-quarters of the way down the runway, so I’m thinking we gotta be going over 100 mph. Honestly, it went to the right and there was no inkling of anything happening,” said Lang, who coached McCarville’s team at the Scotties.

“The plane took a sudden veer toward the snow. Obviously, there was a couple feet of snow there and we went through a snowbank and into the snow. That would have been fine because we came to a slow stop. But the propellers, I think, hit the ice and snow and started shattering and it got quite violent. (Pieces) were coming into the cabin.”

Seated in the front row of the small plane, Lang suffered hand wounds from flying debris but was the only person hurt. McCarville and Sippala were a few rows behind.

“I can’t describe my thoughts at the time. Things started exploding, I covered my head with my hands and put my head down, thank God. The level of violence was significant so I think we’re all really grateful to be alive,” he said. “I ended up in (emergency room) with pieces of what I believe was the propeller in my hand. There was wood that came flying through. All the windows were blown out, there were holes in the fuselage.

“I had two shards of wood that went into my hand, between my fingers and up, and another that went right through the middle of my hand that I pulled out just because it was such a big piece of wood, it would have hurt to leave it in there. I yanked it out.

“There was a bit of shock obviously. The emotional part, you can tell, I get a little bit… I don’t know where I’m gonna be for a little while in terms of that.”

Adam, 34, said hearing the news of his father’s close call was jarring.

“I was actually at the gym with a friend of mine and there was a bunch of missed calls on my phone once I got out of the gym. I immediately called my mom (Lorraine) and she basically told me, ‘Everybody’s OK but there’s been an incident. Your dad’s plane was in a crash.’ It’s pretty shocking to hear, as you can imagine.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell