Nine people were injured when a small plane crashed onto a road in Richmond, B.C., near Vancouver International Airport.

The Vancouver Coast Health Authority said six people were taken to Vancouver General Hospital, three of them with critical injuries, while three were transported to Richmond Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The aircraft slammed onto the road and slid into a blue car before stopping, witness Steven Baran told CBC News.

Baran, who works for the post office at the airport, said no one in the car appeared to be hurt and his first instinct was to help the plane passengers.

He said he and other witnesses, "made a bee-line for the plane."

"The rear door was ajar and one of the fellows pulled it down," said Baran. "One after another, we just pulled passengers out real quick."

The Beechcraft King Air turbo-prop aircraft, chartered from Northern Thunderbird Air, took off about 3:40 p.m. PT from Vancouver headed to Kelowna, B.C.

The plane turned around about 15 minutes after takeoff but did not make it back to the airport, crashing on Russ Baker Way in Richmond, a few hundred metres short of the runway.

Visibility was good with clear skies at the time of the crash, CBC meteorologist Claire Martin said.

All bridges leading to the airport were closed to allow swift access for emergency vehicles.