THORSBY, Alta. — The Transportation Safety Board says a plane that crashed last year southwest of Edmonton, killing the two people on board, had collided with a power line.
The Harmon Rocket two-seat sport plane took off Sept. 26 from Rocky Mountain House and went down near Thorsby before catching on fire.
RCMP said at the time that the pilot, a 59-year-man, and a passenger, a 48-year-old woman, both from Rocky Mountain House, were killed.
The board says the pilot was a well-known air-show performer and was cleared to perform aerobatic manoeuvres at any altitude.
There was no public air show that day, though, and the purpose of the trip was to gather with friends for an afternoon of go-karting next to an airfield.
The board says the pilot was unfamiliar with the area and, while doing a second circuit of the field, went from flying low over the racetrack into a climb and struck an unmarked power line.
The board's report, released Wednesday, says low-level flight is very risky because not all hazards, such as power lines, can be seen in time to avoid a collision.
The Harmon Rocket is an aircraft regularly seen at air shows across North America.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2021
The Canadian Press
