Small plane experienced engine failure before fatal Ottawa crash, investigation finds
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $1.44 a week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
OTTAWA – The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says a small airplane experienced engine failure before it crashed near the Ottawa International Airport last year, killing the pilot and injuring two passengers.
The board’s report says various pieces detached from the engine and oil sprayed across the windshield of the privately registered Grumman AA-5A at 5:45 p.m. on July 31, 2025, causing the pilot to divert to the international airport and start descending.
The report says the pilot’s continued manipulation of the engine controls and the fact that he didn’t make a radio call until 5:51 p.m. “indicate that he likely believed he was dealing with a partial malfunction.”
However, the board says that based on its examination of the engine after the crash, it is “highly probable” that the aircraft experienced a complete engine failure.
It says that given the time and altitude of the engine failure, the plane “would not have been able to reach any runway … even with immediate action.”
The plane collided with trees about 960 metres short of the runway. The pilot died at the scene, while a man and woman were taken to hospital to be treated for injuries not considered life-threatening.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.