Low-altitude manoeuvre led to fatal plane crash near Didsbury, Alta., TSB says

Two people died after an ultra-light plane crashed into a field east of Didsbury, Alta., on July 13, 2022. (Supplied)

A manoeuvre that was conducted too close to the ground is to blame for the deaths of two people in a small plane crash last summer, a report has found.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) was called to investigate a fatal plane crash in Mountain View County on July 13, 2022.

Two people, a 69-year-old man from Didsbury and a 65-year-old man from New Zealand, were killed in the incident.

In a full report released Wednesday, the TSB said the crash was a result of a power-on stall exercise that was conducted too close to the ground.

According to the investigation, the small private plane took off for a "local recreation flight" just east of Didsbury at approximately 9:55 a.m.

A short time into the flight, the TSB said the pilot entered "an intentional power-on stall at 1,100 feet above ground level."

The recovery from that stall was successful, but the pilot executed another power-on stall, this time at 900 feet above ground level.

During this manoeuvre, the TSB says the plane went into a spin and the pilot did not regain control.

"The aircraft's average descent rate was approximately 3300 fpm and the rate of rotation during the spin was approximately 90 degrees per second. The aircraft’s attitude near the end of the spinning manoeuvre was relatively flat compared to the typical nose-down attitude for light aircraft in a spin (which is normally fairly steep)," the TSB said in its report.

The aircraft crashed at approximately 10:14 a.m. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries.

The TSB, which says the investigation was launched for the purpose of transportation safety, indicates that Transport Canada has clear rules on these types of manoeuvres.

"Transport Canada indicates that stall recovery should be completed 'at an operationally safe altitude that allows recovery at or above 2000 feet AGL or the minimum height recommended by the manufacturer, whichever is higher,'" the TSB wrote.

Intentional spins of aircraft are also prohibited, it added, and stalls should not be attempted while there are passengers on board.