The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada says it is possible a glare from the sun obscured the view of the pilot which resulted in a crash that killed a 22-year-old pilot from Cambridge, Ont.
The crash happened on Sept. 18, 2022, in a remote section of southern Saskatchewan and killed both pilots onboard, including 22-year-old Jaden Hallman.
The report released on Tuesday, says the plane struck a communications tower, resulting in a 4-foot section of the aircraft’s right wing being shorn off. It was discovered at the base of the tower.
According to the report, the fuselage travelled around 240 metres before impacting the ground, at which point, it caught on fire which consumed most of the remaining fuselage.
“The aircraft was destroyed. Both pilots were fatally injured. The aircraft’s 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter was destroyed on impact and no signal from it was received by the search and rescue satellite system,” the report reads.
According to the report, the height of the communications tower was marked and lit in accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations and was marked on navigation charts used by pilots to illustrate obstacles.
The tower is 440 feet above ground level, and the plane struck the communications tower approximately 25 feet below the tower’s highest point
“The investigation was unable to determine if the pilots had consulted the chart while flight planning or during the flight,” the report reads.
