No injuries after small plane crashes near Monarch Park Collegiate in East York

Three people escaped injury Monday night after a small plane crashed outside Monarch Park Collegiate at Hanson Street and Coxwell Avenue in East York.

Toronto Police Service said crews were called to the area at 8:17 p.m., where the plane came down in a parking lot beside the sports field and struck a fence.

Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop told reporters at the scene that the three occupants, believed to be in their mid-30s to mid-40s, were assessed by paramedics and did not require transport to hospital.

The crash happened near a busy sports field where people were playing on the pitch, but no one on the ground was injured.

“We were very fortunate tonight,” Jessop said. “It could have been a lot worse.”

He said the aircraft appeared to clip trees before landing and skidding into the fence. Crews contained leaking fuel and confirmed there was no risk to the public.

Transport Canada and the Toronto District School Board have been notified. Police and fire will maintain the scene until federal investigators arrive.

As of Monday evening, it was not yet clear whether the crash would affect classes at Monarch Park on Tuesday.

Jessop called the incident “extremely rare,” noting it was the first time in his nearly 30 years on the job he has seen a plane crash land in the middle of the city.