Investigators sift through wreckage of plane crash

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This article was published 31/12/2010 (5698 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In an attempt to understand why a small plane crashed near Boissevain Wednesday killing its 62-year-old pilot, Transportation Safety Board investigators spent all day Thursday combing through the scraps of metal and debris that remain.

RCMP will not release the name of the deceased, but family and friends identified the pilot as Boissevain-area resident Art Peters, owner of West-Gro Seeds Service Ltd. and the registered owner of the four-seater, single-engine aircraft.

TSB regional manager Peter Hildebrand confirmed the 1969 Cessna 172K was on travelling wast to Deloraine before crashing in a field about three miles northwest of Boissevain.

Investigators spent the day scouring the wreckage for possible contributing factors, some of which have now been ruled out, Hildebrand said.

"There’s a number of things that we go through almost like a checklist," he said.

"We found that … the path of the wreckage trail along the snow was roughly 240 feet (73.2 metres) long. So it indicates a significant amount of speed at the time of impact."

Although the high speed of impact left the small aircraft "really badly damaged" investigators can confirm that the structure of the plane was intact until impact.

It has also been confirmed that the plane’s controls were in normal working order and there were no signs of engine failure, Hildebrand added.

"We looked at other issues that sometimes happen to aircraft … We’re able to say that (technical malfunction) doesn’t seem to be an indicator at this point," he said.

An autopsy will be performed, but results aren’t expected for "months," RCMP Sgt. Line Karpish told the Sun.

The TSB will also investigate whether any medical issues could have played a role and it will use the autopsy results as part of its investigation.

Meanwhile, weather has not been ruled out as a contributing factor.

Investigators are questioning witnesses to determine weather conditions at the time of the crash. It’s a job Hildebrand says is difficult when there are no regular weather reports filed from the community.

Boissevain RCMP Sgt. Rob Vachon told the Sun on Wednesday that it was foggy in the area during the morning and about 90 minutes after the crash, conditions were also foggy and windy with snow beginning to fall.

The TSB has some small pieces of the aircraft to study. However, the wreckage remains the property of its owner and will likely remain as is for insurance purposes.