The Transportation Safety Board's investigation into plane crash that killed five people near Wainwright on Friday, shows the plane ripped apart while in flight.
John Cottreau of the Transportation Safety Board said certain elements of the aircraft came off and fell from the plane while it was in mid-air.
The single engine Piper Malibu was en route from Edmonton to Winnipeg when it crashed 26 kilometres northeast of Wainwright.
All five people aboard the plane were killed. Three of them were employees of A.D. Williams Engineering Inc., a consulting company in Edmonton.
The victims are:
- Reagan S. Williams, 40, company president
- Philippe Allard, 33, chief financial officer
- Rhonda Quirke, 36, director, Business Integration and Strategy
- Trevor Korol, 30
- Shaun Stewart, 35
Reagan Williams' father, Allen Williams, the founder of A.D Williams was killed five months ago when he was piloting a plane near Golden, B.C. The company's chief financial officer, Steven Sutton, was also killed in that crash.
Allen Williams' three-year-old grandaugter was the sole survivor of the crash. Kate dangled upside down for several hours before rescuers got to her.
The family is at a loss for words, as they re-live another tragic loss.
"They're spending time together, sharing memories, sharing their grief and just trying to get through it as any of us would," said family spokesperson Sue O'Connor.
Sheldon Williams said his brother Reagan always tried to follow in their late father's footsteps.
"He got his pilot's license when he was 16. He always tried to emulate our Dad. He was his hero, so for this to happen in this way is tough," he said.
A Transport Canada report released Friday said the aircraft was experiencing problems with its gyroscope (which affects the plane's instruments) before it plummeted to the ground. The Transportation Safety Board was unable to confirm the reports.
The six-seat Piper Malibu was completely destroyed after it slammed into a wooded area near Wainwright.
Investigators were on scene Saturday collected debris that was scattered across a 3 kilometre plot of land.
The remnants will be brought back to Edmonton where they will be examined.
"They'll be gathering information about the aircraft and information about the flight path to determine what might have initiated the in flight breakup," said John Cottreau of the Transportation Safety Board.
It could take several months before the investigation is complete.
With files from Scott Roberts
