EDMONTON -- A small two-seater plane stalled before it fell to the ground near Camrose last year, killing the pilot in a fiery crash, according to a newly released report from the Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot had just dropped off a passenger for a short flight in a Piper PA18-150 aircraft near a farm about 46 kilometres east of Camrose on Sept. 27, 2019.
He took off again from a field at around 4:45 p.m. on a steep ascent, according to the TSB report. About 90 feet above ground level, the plane stalled and entered a tailspin.
It struck power lines, breaking a top insulating wire and bridging two conductor lines with its right wing.
The small plane then crashed into the ground and burst into flames, killing the pilot. The body of the plane was later found in a ditch on the north side of Township Road 460.
Meteorological data shows that wind speeds at the time were 10 knots, or about 18.5 kilometres per hour, and weather was overcast at 2,300 feet.
Because of the extensive damage to the plane, investigators could not provide a detailed assessment of the flight control circuit and aircraft systems, but they say there was no indication that the engine, propeller or other flight instruments failed.
The TSB says there were no NAV Canada records of a flight plan being filed, and no emergency locator transmitter signal was sent prior to the crash.
The unidentified pilot held a private licence for single-engine land aircraft and a night rating. He had recorded more than 1370 hours of flight time as of July 2019, according to his logbook.
