The pilot of the aircraft that crashed near Kelowna, B.C. late Thursday night has been identified as a former RCMP member who served as the Member At Large for the Airdrie Air Cadets.
Jim Kruk, a 62-year-old loving husband and father who lived in Airdrie, was among the four victims of the fatal crash.
Kruk’s family released the following statement on Saturday morning:
Jim (KRUK) is dearly missed by his family and his lifelong friends in the Air Cadets, RCMP and aviation communities. Jim was a professional’s professional, meticulous and methodical in all his accomplishments. Jim was an avid aviator since 1976. After a full career and retirement from the RCMP, Jim pursued his true passion, aviation, which is only usurped by his dedication and love for his two sons Grayden (19) and Ryland (17), and devotion to his loving wife, Darlene.
We also thank friends and family for their ongoing support and prayers during this difficult period.
In addition to Kruk, Thursday evening’s crash claimed the lives of businessman Sheldon Reid, optometrist Ken Gellatly and Jim Prentice, former Alberta premier and Member of Parliament.
A Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
