Engine stall in low-flying plane near Lloydminster led to fatal crash: report

An engine stall in a plane flying 200 to 300 feet above ground near Lloydminster, Alta., in September 2024 preceded its fatal crash, federal investigators say.

An engine stall in a plane flying 200 to 300 feet above ground near Lloydminster, Alta., in September 2024, preceded its fatal crash, federal investigators say.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its report into the Sept. 8, 2024, incident on Wednesday; it said there was no indication the aircraft operators, who were trained to fly at low altitude, were negatively impacted by medical or physiological factors.

Their plane — a Cessna U206F aircraft operated by KBM Forestry Consultants Inc. —departed Kindersley Regional Aerodrome in Saskatchewan at 2:47 p.m. for an aerial power line inspection near Lloydminster.

The flight was part of a multi-day operation to photograph power lines, the TSB said. The crew shared the duties of pilot and observer; whoever flew in the morning operated the cameras in the afternoon.

At one point during their flight, the pilot turned for the observer to take photos of an intersection of power lines. After those photos were taken, the pilot started a right turn some 200 to 300 feet above ground when the engine stalled. The plane began to descend rapidly before it impacted the terrain.

The whole incident took three seconds to unfold, the TSB said.

“The pilot received fatal injuries. The observer received serious injuries and died three days later,” the report reads.

“The aircraft was destroyed. There was no indication of fire either before or after the occurrence.”