Hamilton pilot killed in March was ‘well below’ approach path before plane crash, report finds

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says a Hamilton pilot killed in March was well below" the approach path when the plane hit a tree, spiralled out of control and crashed in a field just east of the Brantford Municipal Airport.

The aircraft had drifted below the nominal approach path and, after a short period of paralleling it, the aircraft continued to descend further below it," the Oct. 11 report reads.

The left wing hit a tree at approximately 70 feet above ground level as the pilot attempted to land the plane, the TSB says.

The aircraft yawed significantly to the left, pitched up and spun around before crashing in a field approximately 200 feet past the tree-strike location," the report reads.

The 57-year-old pilot, identified by police as John Bacon, had rented the single-engine Cessna 172RG on March 21 from the Brantford Flying Club, where he was a longtime member.

Bacon, a licensed pilot, was alone on board at the time of the crash. He was transported to hospital with critical injuries, but died before arriving, the report reads.

The TSB says there was no indication of a mechanical malfunction before the crash.

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com