Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Two men feared dead in plane crash

By: Jason Bell

Posted: 08/23/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

A small airplane carrying two men believed to be from Winnipeg crashed Wednesday night just moments after taking off from the airstrip in Manitou, a town about 140 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.

The plane crashed at about 8 p.m. into the community lagoon, 1.5 km north of Manitou, and was partially submerged before people could get to it.

A witness said he fears both men didn't survive.

"They had one fellow out and they were working on him, but the other was still inside," said Russ Langseth, an amateur pilot who was at the airport when the plane took off.

"It's terrible... something I never want to see again."

Late Wednesday, RCMP would not confirm how many were aboard or if there were any serious injuries.

Langseth said the plane had just taken off to the west and was turning when he heard the engine get louder. He said the plane made a low pass over the runway and then started to roll.

"I saw it angling toward the lagoon, and in a fraction of a second it hit it," he said. "It happened so fast."

The RCMP and local firefighters were still on the scene three hours after the crash, and the Transportation Safety Board will assist with the investigation today.

Langseth, a retired pharmacist, said he's an aircraft enthusiast and spends time at the airport when different planes come in. He said he talked to the pilot of the downed plane just moments before takeoff.

He said the man told him they had been out for a pleasure ride and had "stopped in for dinner and to fly out of a different airport."

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 23, 2012 B4

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.