Pilot ‘disoriented’ in the clouds before fatal Algonquin Park plane crash
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, November 12, 2014, 8:53 AM -
A pilot and his passenger died Tuesday when their plane crashed near Ontario’s Algonquin Park after the pilot reported becoming confused in the clouds.
The Cessna 150, a two-seater aircraft, "declared an airborne emergency" Tuesday evening after leaving Buttonville Airport north of Toronto, a military spokesman said.
STAY TUNED: Check back soon, The Weather Network's Mike Arsenault will be on site at Smith Falls with more details.
“The pilot radioed that he had become disoriented in the clouds and was worried he wouldn’t have enough fuel to land,” said Capt. Alexandre Cadieux, spokesman for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre at CFB Trenton, which found the wreckage and the dead pilot and passenger after receiving an emergency beacon signal. Cadieux noted that visibility was so poor that the Hercules aircraft sent to search for the missing plane couldn’t make visual contact. Instead, a Griffon helicopter was sent in.
Sergeant Kristine Rae from the OPP in Smith Falls says the investigation is ongoing, and details about the victims and cause of the crash are yet to be released. Sgt. Rae notes that several factors are being considered during the examination.
In an interview with the CBC Captain Jean Houde of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, Ont., said the victims were both male and in their 20s.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
