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Plane hit tree before fatal Brantford crash, TSB investigation determines

A plane crash in Brant County in March 2022. (Source: David Ritchie) A plane crash in Brant County in March 2022. (Source: David Ritchie)
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says an altered flight path, as well as hitting a tree, contributed to a fatal aircraft crash in Brantford in March.

In the TSB report released Tuesday, investigators say 57-year-old pilot John Bacon was critically injured and taken to hospital, but died before arrival.

Investigators say the aircraft was “well below the nominal approach path” and the left wing hit a tree about 70 feet above ground level.

“Due to the tree strike, the aircraft yawed significantly to the left, pitched up, and spun around before crashing in a field approximately 200 feet past the tree-strike location,” the TSB report reads.

Investigators say the right wing was the first part of the plane to hit the ground, followed by the front-right corner of the nose.

Bacon was the only person on board of the single-engine Cessna 172RG aircraft, owned by the Brantford Flying Club.

The board revealed there was no indication of a pre-impact mechanical malfunction.

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