Sunday, November 01, 2020

Loss of Control and Collision with Terrain: Cirrus SR22 GTS, C-FGLA; fatal accident occurred September 24, 2010 near Sundre, Alberta, Canada

September 24, 2010 — Loss of Control and Collision with Terrain, Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, C-FGLA, Sundre, Alberta, 5 nm NW

Former Calgary Hitman owner Chuck Matson, died in the plane crash near Sundre on September 24th, 2010.

James DuBarry, 42, Edmonton victim who was killed along with Calgary Hitman owner Chuck Matson and Steve Brosseau of Spruce Grove when the Cirrus SR22 they were flying in spiralled downward into a field 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary on September 24, 2010.

Steve Brosseau, seen in a photo provided by one of his friends,  one of three men killed in the plane crash on September 24, 2010.





 



 









Summary

The privately operated Cirrus Design Corporation SR22 (registration C-FGLA, serial number 1681) was on a round robin, visual flight rules flight from the Calgary/Springbank Airport to the area of Sundre, Alberta, with 3 persons on board. About 5 nautical miles northwest of Sundre, the aircraft entered a steep turning descent from about 1600 feet above the ground, striking the ground in a field at 1347, Mountain Daylight Time. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a severe post-impact fire. No emergency locator transmitter signal was received. The 3 occupants were fatally injured.

History of Flight

The history of the flight was determined from onboard data recordings from the aircraft instrumentation, and NAV CANADA radar and data records (see Appendix A and B).

The aircraft departed Springbank (CYBW) at 1319, for a planned 1.5 hour flight. The aircraft travelled northwest toward the Sundre Airport (CFN7), 40 nautical miles (nm) north of Springbank, at a maximum altitude of 6500 feet above sea level (asl), and a maximum ground speed of 160 knots. A descent was commenced 21 nm southeast of CFN7. Due to terrain masking, the last air traffic control radar return produced by the Calgary radar source, at 1336, showed C‑FGLA descending through 5700 feet asl.

C-FGLA overflew CFN7 and conducted a right hand circuit, followed by a touch-and-go landing on Runway 32 at 1341. After the touch-and-go, as the aircraft crossed the departure end of the runway, it oscillated slightly in the pitch axis.

The aircraft then climbed to approximately 5600 feet asl, on a north-westerly heading, between 105 knots and 109 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). At 1343:50, the aircraft turned left to a heading varying between 220° and 227° magnetic (M). The aircraft maintained a relatively stable attitude with the bank angle varying between 5° left and right, and a pitch angle of approximately 5° nose up. At 1344:21, the aircraft began to pitch to a maximum of 15° nose up with no increase in either vertical speed or normal acceleration and gradually descended to 5500 feet asl, or 1650 feet above ground level (agl). During this time, the airspeed gradually decreased from 130 KIAS to 67 KIAS.

At 1345:35, the aircraft entered a right turn which increased in rate to a maximum of 11° per second. Airspeed increased to 98 KIAS, accompanied by an 80° nose-down pitch and a rapidly increasing rate of descent. Characteristics of this turn were consistent with the early stages of a spin. Footnote 4 When the turn reached 329° M at 1100 feet agl, the aircraft rolled to the left. At 1345:48, the onboard recording quality was compromised due to extreme attitudes, resulting in loss of valid pitch and roll information. At that time, the heading was decreasing to 120° M, an airspeed of 103 KIAS and a vertical descent rate over 5000 feet per minute (fpm) with a positive loading in the vertical axis of 2.4 g. At 1345:51, the last recorded data showed the aircraft 160 feet laterally from the impact point, with airspeed increasing through 132 KIAS, vertical descent rate increasing through 6900 fpm and vertical acceleration reaching approximately 3.5 g. The engine was running throughout the descent to the ground.

Wreckage

The majority of the wreckage was contained within 60 feet of the first point of impact. The compactness of the main wreckage area and the high degree of damage indicated that the aircraft had struck the ground at a steep flight path angle and a nose-low attitude. The wings and fuselage, forward of the tail section including the cockpit and cabin, were consumed by the severe post-impact fire. This limited detailed examination of the wreckage. Although no pre-existing defects were detected, it could not be conclusively determined whether any airframe failure or system malfunction contributed to the accident.

The aft tail section was the only major airframe component to survive the post-impact fire. The rudder had separated from the vertical fin on impact. Wing flaps were retracted. All control surfaces were present, and to the extent that the flight control system could be examined, no pre-impact discontinuities were identified. Mechanical damage to all cabin door latches was consistent with both doors being in the closed position at impact.

Weather

The weather at the time of the occurrence featured unlimited visibility, high broken cloud, with light ground level winds from the southwest. Evidence of smoke and flame drift at the crash site confirmed the wind observation. Pilots flying in the area in the morning experienced winds above ground level from the northwest at about 15 knots with light turbulence.

The nearest location providing aviation weather reports was Red Deer Regional Airport, located 40 nm northeast of the accident site. The 1400 Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) for Red Deer was as follows: wind 240° True (T) at 2 knots; visibility 15 statute miles; high cloud; temperature 17°C, dew point 0°C; altimeter setting 29.99 inches of mercury (in. Hg).

Pilot and Passenger History

The pilot-in-command, who occupied the left front seat, was issued a private pilot license in early 2005, following training on the Cessna 172. He held a valid group 3 instrument rating, as well as multi-engine and night ratings. Available records indicate that, at the time of the occurrence, the pilot had accumulated about 567 hours total time, with 448 hours on the Cirrus Design Corporation SR22. Prior to taking delivery of C‑FGLA in 2005, he was enrolled in an SR22 transition training program which normally consists of 7‑10 hours of ground instruction and 10‑15 hours of flight instruction. After 5.5 hours of ground instruction and 3.9 hours of flight instruction, weather conditions precluded completion of the training. He elected to take possession of C‑FGLA and fly it to Springbank accompanied by a Cirrus-certified instructor who was experienced in the SR22. He subsequently received at least 50 hours of dual instruction on his aircraft and later flew with the instructor for about 150 hours to improve his skills and remain current. The pilot was characterized as competent and cautious in his approach to flying.

The other 2 occupants were pilots who had purchased C-FGLA on the morning of the accident. One held a private pilot license for fixed wing aircraft since 1985 and a glider pilot license since 1984. His total flight time in powered aircraft was about 165 hours, with no hours in the SR22. The second occupant was a student pilot on fixed wing aircraft. He had completed most of the private pilot training program with 63 flying hours total flight time. His experience in the SR22 was limited to a 2 hour flight accompanying the owner from Springbank to Edmonton and return, and a 1 hour familiarization flight with an instructor at Springbank.

It was not determined which occupant sat in the right front seat on the accident flight. There were no outstanding medical issues with the occupants, and the recent rest/work cycles of the 3 occupants could not be determined with certainty.

Aircraft Information

Flight Controls

The SR22 is equipped with dual controls, consisting of a single yoke handle protruding from the left and right sides of the instrument panel (see Photo 1). Pitch control is accomplished by pushing and pulling the yoke in and out of the panel. For aileron roll control, the handle is rolled laterally from side to side. Spring forces in the system centralize the yoke in the neutral position in pitch and roll, and compensate for increased feedback forces to the pilot as airspeed increases. The control principles are similar to most other light general aviation aircraft. However, some differences in the action and feedback forces usually require a short adjustment period for new pilots.

Avionics

C-FGLA was equipped with an Avidyne Entegra instrumentation system, consisting of flat panel liquid-crystal displays integrating all flight instruments and navigation systems. The primary flight display (PFD) was situated in front of the left pilot position, with a multi-function display (MFD) to the right. The PFD included airspeed and altitude tapes, vertical speed, horizontal situation indicator, attitude indicator, and compass information. Engine parameters were displayed digitally on the MFD along with navigation information.

The PFD and MFD are capable of holding non-volatile memory after aircraft electrical power is removed. Data was extracted from the non-volatile memory of the PFD from which some details of the aircraft’s last flight could be reconstructed. The MFD sustained substantial impact and fire damage which obliterated information related to engine operation.

Backup analog instruments, consisting of altimeter, airspeed and attitude indicator, were installed in the left side of the instrument panel below the PFD. The damaged airspeed indicator and artificial horizon were examined at the TSB laboratory in order to determine readings on impact. The airspeed needle was trapped between 115 knots and 120 knots. The attitude indicator and altimeter did not contain useful information.

C-FGLA was equipped with an S-TEC 55X 2 axis flight director/autopilot which included heading, navigation, altitude and vertical speed modes. The software version operating the Avidyne Integra system did not allow for storage of autopilot operational data.

Cirrus Airframe Parachute System

C-FGLA was factory-equipped with a Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS), offered as standard equipment on all aircraft manufactured by Cirrus. It is designed to protect occupants by lowering the aircraft to the ground in the event of an in-flight emergency including midair collision, structural failure, loss of control, landing in inhospitable terrain, and pilot incapacitation (see Appendix C). The system consists of a 2400 square-foot parachute which is attached to the aircraft and deployed by a rocket. The Pilot’s Operating Handbook indicates that the system is manually activated by clasping both hands on an overhead T-handle and pulling straight down in a strong, steady and continuous motion. Pull forces up to, or exceeding 45 pounds may be required. The handle is secured by a safety pin when the aircraft is on the ground. Bending of the bracket which retains the handle is to be expected.

Section 5 of the SR22 Safety Information Training Guide states:

There is no minimum deployment altitude. This is because the actual altitude loss during a particular deployment depends upon the airplane’s speed, altitude and attitude at deployment as other environmental factors. As a guideline, the demonstrated altitude loss from entry into a one-turn spin until under a stabilized parachute is 920 ft. Altitude loss from level flight deployments has been demonstrated at less than 400 ft. The recommended cut-off decision altitude is 2,000’ agl.

In a quiz based upon Section 10, Safety Information of the Pilot’s Operating Handbook, the pilot‑in-command listed scenarios when activation of CAPS might be appropriate. These were: midair collision, structural failure, loss of control, no landing terrain, and pilot incapacitation.

During rocket deployment of the CAPS system, the T-handle is gripped and forcefully pulled downward, resulting in the deformation of an aluminum bracket which attaches the cable and handle assembly to the cabin roof. In the wreckage of C-FGLA, the T-handle was found to be fully stowed and there was no deformation of the bracket. No deformation of the bracket is an indication, although not always reliable, that the T-handle had not been pulled.

Although the rocket had launched from the aircraft, the parachute lines were grouped together and draped over tree branches forward of the main wreckage. The parachute lay on the ground, neatly folded, adjacent to its containment bag, thus indicating that the system had activated on impact. The safety pin was not in place and was not found in the wreckage. The pilot was in the habit of removing the pin prior to flight which was in accordance with the normal procedures section of the SR22 Pilot's Operating Handbook

Spin Recovery Procedure

In 2002, Cirrus certified the SR20, the predecessor to the SR22, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) FAR23.221 which set standards for spin recovery for single‑engine, normal category airplanes. This standard was based on a demonstrated resistance to spinning, and/or the ability to recover from a 1-turn, or 3-second spin, whichever takes longer, in not more than 1 additional turn after the controls have been applied for recovery.

During certification of the SR20, the FAA granted an Equivalent Level of Safety to FAR23.221 based on stall characteristics and installation and activation of the CAPS system as a recovery method from an inadvertent spin. The SR22 was certified under a similar Equivalent Level of Safety applied to the SR20, and the Aircraft Flight Manual Emergency Procedures section, revision A7 states that:

The SR22 is not approved for spins and has not been tested or certified for spin recovery characteristics. The only approved and demonstrated method of spin recovery is activation of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. Because of this, if the aircraft departs controlled flight, the CAPS must be deployed.

While the stall characteristics of the SR22 make accidental entry into a spin extremely unlikely, it is possible. Spin entry can be avoided by using good airmanship: coordinated use of controls in turns, proper airspeed control following the recommendations of this Handbook, and never abusing the flight controls with accelerated inputs when close to the stall.

If, at the stall, the controls are misapplied and abused accelerated inputs are made to the elevator, rudder and/or ailerons, an abrupt wing drop may be felt and a spiral or spin may be entered. In some cases, it may be difficult to determine if the aircraft has entered a spiral or the beginning of a spin.

WARNING

In all cases, if the aircraft enters an unusual attitude from which recovery is not expected before ground impact, immediate deployment of the CAPS is required.

The minimum demonstrated altitude loss for a CAPS deployment from a one-turn spin is 920 feet. Activation at higher altitudes provides enhanced safety margins for parachute recoveries. Do not waste time and altitude trying to recover from a spiral/spin before activating CAPS.

The checklist section indicates that in the event of inadvertent spin entry, the CAPS system is to be activated. There is no mention of recovery through use of flight controls.

At the time that the pilot of C-FGLA took delivery of his aircraft in 2005, a cabin mock-up was available at Cirrus which provided pilots with an opportunity to become familiar with the steps involved in a CAPS deployment. Scenario-based simulator training was not available at that time. In recent years, commercial training organizations have developed programs consisting of classroom and realistic simulator sessions which demonstrate situations in which CAPS deployment is necessary. This training reinforces the necessity of timely decision-making, and allows pilots to mentally and physically practice the execution of CAPS in simulated emergency conditions.

Record of CAPS Deployments

From January 1999 to March 2011, Cirrus has documented 28 CAPS activation events worldwide. Some events were under conditions not suitable for successful deployment, such as at altitudes insufficient for successful activation. Although the potential outcomes cannot be evaluated with certainty, Cirrus estimates that 48 lives have been saved by CAPS deployments. Recent deployments without serious injury have been accomplished following engine failure and loss of control. In one occurrence, activation was at approximately 1000 feet agl and in another at approximately 500 feet agl. The CAPS was successfully deployed in the United Kingdom in an August 2010 occurrence involving a Cirrus SR20. The aircraft had entered a spiral dive and at the time of activation, the airspeed was 187 knots, bank angle at 45°, pitch 9° nose down, and acceleration forces at 4 g.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database for the same period cites 68 occurrences in which it is estimated that, in 15 occurrences with 32 fatalities, there was potential for a successful CAPS deployment. Except for 1 occurrence in which a surviving passenger was able to recount that the pilot did not activate the system, reasons for non-deployment were not determined. In most occurrences, the system activated on ground impact.
Maintenance History

C-FGLA was manufactured in November 2005, and purchased new by the pilot. The last annual inspection, by a local aircraft maintenance organization, was carried out on 25 August 2010 at 438 hours total airframe time.

On 22 September 2010, the aircraft was flown to Edmonton, Alberta, for a pre-purchase inspection. That inspection revealed that the 24-month altimeter inspection required by Canadian Aviation Regulation (CAR) 625 for flight under IFR or in transponder airspace had not been entered as completed. In addition, service of a filter associated with the CAV Aerospace TKSTM airframe anti-ice system, and replacement of the auxiliary aircraft battery was overdue. This battery provides emergency power in the case of total generator failure.

Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives

Early models of SR22 aircraft, produced prior to 2007, were equipped with a rudder-aileron interconnect system which augmented roll stability of the aircraft in turbulence. The system consisted of a cable interconnect arm, bungee cord and clamps.

On 09 May 2007, Cirrus issued Mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) 2X-27-14, which combined a maintenance manual revision for rigging requirements with a design change of the rudder‑aileron interconnect mechanism. This was in response to a ground incident in which controls became locked with full left aileron and full right rudder input, in combination with mis‑rigging.

Maintenance records indicated that this SB had been carried out on C-FGLA.

A revised SB, 2X-27-14R3 was issued on 10 October 2007. It was the basis for Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2008-03-16 issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) effective 11 March 2008. The AD stated:

This AD requires you to inspect the rudder, aileron, and rudder-aileron interconnect rigging; correct any out-of-rig condition; replace the attaching hardware for the rudder-aileron interconnect arm; and report any out-of-rig conditions found. This AD results from a jamming of the aileron and rudder controls on a Model SR20 airplane, which resulted in loss of rudder and aileron flight controls. We are issuing this AD to prevent the possibility of jamming of the rudder–aileron interconnect system, which may result in loss of rudder and aileron flight controls.

Field examination of the rudder-aileron interconnect mechanism in C-FGLA determined that the mechanism had not been modified with the installation of updated hardware in accordance with AD 2008-03-16. There was no record in the maintenance logs to indicate that the AD had been complied with, and no record of the owner having applied for an exemption to the AD, or for approval of an alternative means of compliance.

Another airworthiness directive, AD 2007-14-03, had not been entered in the logs although the service bulletin to which it referred had been entered as being completed. A check of airworthiness directive completions was not signed off on the pre-purchase inspection forms.

Compliance with manufacturer’s service bulletins and service letters is not mandatory unless they are accompanied by an AD. CAR 605.84 states that persons with legal custody and control of an aircraft, by definition aircraft owners, are responsible for ensuring that the aircraft is not flown with any outstanding ADs. A Transport Canada Airworthiness Notice - B056, Edition 1 ‑ 14, Applicability of Foreign Airworthiness Directives in Canada, issued in July 2000, states:

In accordance with Airworthiness Manual Chapter 593 (Appendix B) of the CARS, "owners of foreign manufactured products should ensure that they receive all continuing airworthiness information directly from the state having jurisdiction over the type design", and "...owners are responsible for obtaining directly from their manufacturers all continuing airworthiness information, including service bulletins, be they mandated by the state or not".

Although not required to do so, as a service to owners and maintenance personnel, Transport Canada’s (TC) Continuing Airworthiness Web Information System (CAWIS) provides a list of ADs which are known to TC to be applicable to Canadian registered aircraft. The website states that aircraft owners and maintainers can be assured this is the most comprehensive publicly available source of such information.

At the time of the last annual inspection, and at the time of the accident, the CAWIS list for C‑FGLA referenced SB 2X-27-14, rather than SB 2X-27-14R3 as the document on which AD 2008‑03-16 was based. Another airworthiness directive, AD 2007-14-03, applicable to a CAPS modification, did not appear on CAWIS in reference to individual SR22 registrations, including C-FGLA.

In addition to the website, TC also notifies owners of applicable ADs via postal service. TC documentation indicates that applicable ADs, including AD 2008-03-16, had been mailed to the owner of C-FGLA. TC does not require proof of delivery of the mailed notifications.

Aircraft Performance
Weight and Balance

The maximum gross takeoff weight of the SR22 is 3400 pounds. At the time of the accident, the weight was estimated at 3390 pounds with a longitudinal center of gravity arm between 144.7 inches and 145.2 inches aft of the reference datum. The longitudinal centre of gravity range is between 143.8 inches and 148.1 inches aft of the datum, placing it within 21% to 32% of the most forward limit. At this centre of gravity position, and with flaps retracted, stall speed was 70 KIAS.

Engine and Propeller Examination

The engine and propeller incurred substantial damage at impact. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed no discrepancies or conditions that would have significantly affected performance. There were indications that the engine was operating at the time of the occurrence.

The following TSB Laboratory reports were completed:

    LP143/2010 – PFD and Instrument Analysis
    LP167/2010 – Engine Cylinder Analysis
    LP173/2010 – Propeller Blade Examination
    LP174/2010 – Engine Exhaust Examination
    LP011/2011 – Flight Data Analysis

These reports are available from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada upon request.

Analysis

The deceleration of C-FGLA after the turn to the southwest, accompanied by a slight descent, is consistent with the engine operating at a reduced power setting, and with the pilot attempting to maintain a more or less constant altitude. The slight loss of altitude and variation in heading suggests that the autopilot was disengaged.

The airspeed deteriorated to the point of aerodynamic stall, which was followed by entry to a spin to the right with a heading change of 90°. The aircraft behaviour in the continued descent indicates an over-recovery into a spiral dive in the opposite direction which featured rapid rotation, speed build-up and increasing positive vertical g loading. Insufficient altitude remained for recovery. The debris field and ground scars indicate that most of the rotation was stopped and a pull-up had begun immediately before the aircraft struck the ground at high speed in a nose down, slight left wing down attitude.

The investigation considered several factors to explain the reason for the reduction in power and the subsequent loss of control. Weather conditions and aircraft performance were not considered to have been factors.

Incapacitation or Distraction

Pilot incapacitation could neither be proven nor eliminated due to limitations of the autopsy processes. Distraction from a cockpit door opening in flight was discounted, since examination of the door latches indicated that both doors were closed and latched on impact.

Aircraft Handling by a Passenger/Pilot

With nearly 500 hours on the SR22, the pilot in the left seat, who is considered to be the pilot‑in‑command, would have been familiar with the handling characteristics and operation of C‑FGLA. The passengers, who were also pilots, were relatively unfamiliar with the aircraft control and display systems, and had little or no experience in flying from the right seat. Since the style and placement of the side-stick flight control and flight instruments were different from what either of the prospective owners were accustomed to, maintaining precise control of the aircraft from the right seat would have presented a challenge. Since the purpose of the flight was likely to familiarize the new owners with their aircraft, it is reasonable to assume that the right seat occupant was allowed to manipulate the flight controls. The behaviour of the aircraft during the departure from the touch-and-go at CFN7 was consistent with a pilot experiencing difficulty in maintaining precise control in the pitch axis. This would suggest that one of the purchasers, occupying the right seat, was in control at the time. The gradual deceleration while maintaining a constant altitude is consistent with engaging in slow flight. With the airspeed deteriorating to stall speed, mishandling of the controls could result in a wing dropping and a departure from controlled flight.
Control Cable Interference

It is unlikely that control cable interference in the aileron-rudder interconnect system had a bearing on the occurrence. Although the airworthiness directive AD 2008-03-16 had not been completed, the reversal of direction after the initial spin entry indicates that control operation was sufficient to allow application of the over-correction. Mis-rigging of controls was not found at the pre-purchase inspection 1.5 flight hours before the occurrence. Also, wreckage examination did not reveal control cable abnormalities. In addition to mis-rigging, control locking would have required the application of full cross controls, which would have been an extreme action during normal flight operations.
Non-deployment of the CAPS

Early recognition of situations justifying the use of CAPS, and subsequent activation, has been very effective in reducing the severity of injuries and damage to aircraft. When C-FGLA entered the initial spin at least 1600 feet agl, there was adequate height for a successful deployment as demonstrated by Cirrus research and past occurrences. In this occurrence, the condition of the T-handle retention bracket, combined with the location and condition of the deployed parachute in the wreckage indicates that the system did not activate until ground impact. It could not be determined why the system was not activated.

AD Distribution

The TC CAWIS website listing the airworthiness directives applicable to C-FGLA did not refer to the correct manufacturer’s service bulletin for AD 2008-03-16. Since mailed documentation to the owner referred to the correct service bulletin, it is not likely that this contributed to non‑compliance of the AD.

Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors

For undetermined reasons, the aircraft decelerated to the point of aerodynamic stall, followed by entry into a spin.

The aircraft recovered from the initial spin entry and entered a spiral dive from which recovery was not accomplished before ground impact.

For undetermined reasons, the Cirrus Aircraft Parachute System was not activated after the aircraft departed controlled flight.

Findings as to Risk

The listing of airworthiness directives in the Transport Canada Continuing Airworthiness Web Information System for Canadian registered SR22 aircraft contained incomplete service bulletin reference and was incomplete in listing airworthiness directives applicable to the SR22. Although it was not the official source of AD lists, there was a potential of misleading owners in regard to current maintenance requirements.

Other findings

C-FGLA was recently flown under instrument flight rules and in transponder airspace with incomplete maintenance actions.

An airworthiness directive which applied to flight controls was not complied with in C‑FGLA. Although this was not shown to have had a bearing on the accident, safety was not assured.

It could not be determined who was flying the aircraft at the time of the loss of control.

Safety Action Taken

After this occurrence, Transport Canada revised the listing of airworthiness directives for the SR20/SR22, and referenced Cirrus Service Bulletins to accurately reflect the current information contained in the Continuing Airworthiness Web Information System.

This report concludes the Transportation Safety Board's investigation into this occurrence. Consequently, the Board authorized the release of this report on November 24, 2011.

James DuBarry, 42, was identified as the Edmonton victim who was killed along with Calgary Hitman owner Chuck Matson and Steve Brosseau of Spruce Grove when the Cirrus SR-22 they were flying in spiralled downward into a field 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary on Sept. 24, 2010.

EDMONTON — An Edmonton man killed in a plane crash near Sundre on September 24th, 2010 was a devoted family man for whom flying was a passion.

James DuBarry, 42, was identified Monday as the Edmonton victim who was killed along with Calgary Hitman owner Chuck Matson and Steve Brosseau of Spruce Grove when the Cirrus SR22 they were flying in spiralled downward into a field 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

DuBarry and Brosseau, 43, were in the process of purchasing the plane together and were likely taking the aircraft out for one last run “before they crossed the Ts and dotted the Is,” said Nemer Fayad, DuBarry’s brother-in-law.

The plane was owned by Matson, 51. He had listed it for sale online in August with an asking price of $259,000.

According to FlightWare.com, the single-engine, four-seater plane flew out of Edmonton City Centre Airport Thursday evening and landed at Springbank airport near Calgary. The plane took off from Springbank on Friday and crashed shortly before 2 p.m. for unknown reasons.

Fayad said his sister, Amel, became worried when she hadn’t heard from DuBarry all day Friday. She was watching the 6 p.m. news when she saw a report of the plane crash and recognized the plane as the one her husband was purchasing.

“At 11 p.m. the police came to the house and told her,” he said. DuBarry is survived by his wife and nine-year-old son, Jordan.

“She is coping as well as expected. We are a really close family and we have been with her the entire weekend,” Fayad said.

He described DuBarry as a gentleman whose passion was flying. “He has been flying since he was 17,” he said.

Brosseau was identified as one of the victims by SMS Equipment Inc, where he worked for the past 16 years. Brosseau was in the process of getting his pilot’s licence and purchasing a light aircraft with another person, the company said Sunday in a news release.

“We know that Steve was excited about flying and that he was pursuing his passion and his dream,” the release said.

Canada Transportation Safety Board investigators were to wrap up their investigation at the crash scene Sunday.

Also Sunday, Matson’s daughter went into labor amid preparations for her father’s funeral.

Dwight Matson, Chuck’s brother, said his brother was the pillar of the family and held everybody together at times.

“He was an avid pilot, an avid student of aviation. His aspiration in life was to pilot his own single-pilot jet,” he said.
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EDMONTON — The three victims of a deadly Alberta plane crash last week were negotiating the sale of the aircraft when it spiralled toward the ground and burst into flames, a family member says.

James DuBarry, 42, and Steve Brosseau, 43, were likely taking the Cirrus SR-22 out for one last run "before they crossed the Ts and dotted the Is" in the sale of the light plane, said Nemer Fayad, DuBarry's brother-in-law.

The plane's owner, 51-year-old Chuck Matson, was also killed Friday in the accident in Sundre, Alta., about 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

Matson, a businessman and former owner of the Calgary Hitmen junior hockey team, had listed the plane online for an asking price of $259,000 in August.

Fayad said his sister, Amel, had become worried when she hadn't heard from DuBarry on Friday. She was watching the 6 p.m. news when she saw a report of the afternoon plane crash and recognized the aircraft as the one her husband was purchasing.

"At 11 p.m., the police came to the house and told her (of the death)," Fayad said. "She is coping as well as expected. We are a really close family and we have been with her the entire weekend."

DuBarry, from Edmonton, was the last crash victim to be identified, and is survived by his wife and nine-year-old son, Jordan.

He was remembered Monday as a devoted family man with a passion for flying — a skill he begin to cultivate at age 17, Fayad said.

Brosseau, of Spruce Grove., Alta, had been identified Sunday by his long-time employer, SMS Equipment Inc.

A news release from the company confirmed he was in the process of getting his pilot's licence and purchasing a light aircraft with another person. "We know that Steve was excited about flying and that he was pursuing his passion and his dream," it read.

Meanwhile, Matson's daughter went into labour Sunday amid preparations for her father's funeral.

Matson's brother, Dwight, said she is expected to be fine.

"She just lost her father and is very emotional right now," he said. "There are lots of things running through a lady's brain during labour, but two days after her father dies in a tragic, horrible accident . . ."

Matson's family is happy about the baby, but the arrival would have been "a really bright spot if he had been here to see it."

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada — which was set to wrap up their investigation of the crash scene Sunday — has said it is possible the plan was making a demonstration flight. The cause of the accident is still unknown.
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Calgary's hockey community is in shock tonight: CTV News has learned one of the three people killed in a plane crash north of Sundre Friday afternoon was a former part-owner of the Calgary Hitmen.

51-year-old Charles Matson owned the plane. Matson was well known in the Calgary hockey world. He was a former part-owner of the Calgary Hitmen along with Joe Sakic, Theoren Fleury, Bret Hart and a group of more than a dozen other investors.

CTV News contacted Bret Hart by telephone. Hart says he's shocked by the news of Matson's death and says Matson was a great guy who will be missed.

Theoren Fleury was also very close to Matson. Fleury issued the following statement to CTV News:

"I was shocked to hear about the death of my buddy Chuck Matson. We had a special bond. He saw me at my worst and he never judged me. He never judged anybody. Chuck was a man of deep faith. He brought that faith to the table a few times to help me and others through rough spots. Chuck had integrity and class. He was a tremendous family man. I feel like I've lost a brother."

The Calgary Flames and Hitmen also issued a statement in response to Matson's death:

"It is with great sadness that we received the news of the sudden and tragic passing of Chuck Matson. As a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen, Chuck was an important member of our hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a key role in returning the Western Hockey League to our city. The Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen would like to extend our condolences to Chuck's family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of sorrow."

On Saturday, Matson's family gathered at the hangar where the plane was based and maintained.

A 42-year-old from Edmonton and a 43-year-old from Spruce Grove were also killed in the crash. Their names have not been released.

Meanwhile, investigators are still trying to figure out why the four-seater crashed in a farmer's field at Township Road 332 and Range Road 63, killing everyone on board.

Investigators were back at the crash scene Saturday sifting through the wreckage. CTV News has learned the flight originated at Springbank Airport, departing at 1:20 p.m. Friday. It crashed half an hour later.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says there was no flight plan and the destination was unknown, but investigators believe the plane was up for sale.

"We believe it was a demonstration flight for perspective purchase," said John Pearson with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

The plane was a Cirrus model SR-22, a light, single-engine aircraft with fixed gear. The aircraft was equipped with a ballistic parachute to help the plane land safely in an emergency, but the parachute was not deployed.

"We may never know why it wasn't deployed," added Pearson.

The plane was last spotted on radar southeast of Sundre at an altitude of 5,700 feet. A short time later, witnesses spotted it in a dive, spinning out of control to the ground below.

"I just looked up and saw this plane spiraling straight down," said witness Lance Dejax.

"It was a giant fireball, the worst you can imagine," added Jeff Dejax who also witnesses the crash.

Most of the plane was destroyed by fire. Still, investigators are hopeful they'll be able to piece together what went terribly wrong.

The plane wasn't equipped with a flight data recorder, but it did have an electronic flight information system on board. Investigators hope it can help them determine what happened in the moments before the plane went down.
==========

EDMONTON — A Spruce Grove man killed in a plane crash near Sundre Friday was hoping to buy an aircraft.

Stephen Brosseau was identified as one of the plane’s three passengers Sunday by SMS Equipment Inc., where he worked for the past 16 years.

The 43-year-old was in the process of obtaining his pilot’s license and purchasing a light aircraft with another person, SMS said in a news release.

“We know that Stephen was excited about flying and that he was pursuing his passion and his dream.” the release said.

Brosseau was killed along with former Calgary Hitmen owner Chuck Matson and an unidentified 42-year-old Edmonton man when the Cirrus model SR-22 they were flying spiralled downward into a field 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary Friday afternoon.

Matson, who owned the plane, had listed it for sale online in August with an asking price of $259,000.

According to Flightaware.com, the single-engine, four-seater plane flew out of Edmonton City Centre Airport Thursday evening and landed at Springbank airport in Calgary. The plane took off from Springbank on Friday and crashed shortly before 2 p.m. for unknown reasons.

Chris Krepski, a spokesman for the Canada Transportation Safety Board, said it’s possible the plane was making a demonstration flight, but the incident is still under investigation.

“We haven’t been able to confirm the purpose of the flight at this time,” he said.

Brosseau leaves behind his partner Janet and her two children, his mother, stepfather and four brothers.

He was working out of SMS Equipment’s head office in Acheson, Alberta, as the general manager of sales for mining equipment, a position he had held since 2001.

Meanwhile, in Calgary, Matson’s family had some good news amid their grief.

Matson’s daughter went into labour Sunday amid preparations for her father’s funeral.

Matson’s brother, Dwight Matson, said she is expected to be fine.

“She just lost her father and is very emotional right now,” he said. “There are lots of things running through a lady’s brain during labour, but two days after her father dies in a tragic, horrible accident.”

Matson’s family is happy about the baby, but the arrival would have been “a really bright spot if he had been here to see it.”

Dwight said his brother was the pillar of the family.

“He held everybody together at times,” he said. “We always remarked about Chuck’s happiest moments were just seeing other people be happy and bringing joy. He would have 15 people out on the lake near Shuswap and he would be pulling the boat for water-skiing. At the end of the day he would be bone tired because he had worked all day so that everybody else could have fun.”

Dwight described his brother as outgoing, lively and witty. He had an excellent sense of humour, was a noted entrepreneur and loved golfing and flying.

“He was an avid pilot, an avid student of aviation. His aspiration in life was to pilot his own single pilot jet,” he said.

Despite his success, Matson didn’t put on airs and credited his accomplishments to the advice of his mentors and elders.

Hours before she went into labour, Christa Coppola said her father loved to play golf, travel and, of course, watch hockey.

“He loved flying. He loved being up in the air,” she said. “He loved to be in a crowd and to make people laugh.”
=================

EDMONTON, ALBERTA-- It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Stephen Brosseau, along with two other Albertans who were killed in a plane crash Friday afternoon near Sundre, Alberta around 2 pm local time. Stephen was pursuing his pilot's license and he was in the process of purchasing a light aircraft in partnership with another individual. The accident is under investigation and many details are not yet known. We do know that Stephen was excited about flying and that he was pursuing his passion and his dream.

Stephen will be dearly missed by his significant other, Janet and her two children, his mother, step father and four brothers. We are awaiting information from Stephen's family regarding funeral arrangements. Our deepest condolences are extended to his family and friends.

Stephen worked for SMS Equipment Inc. since 1994 in various sales positions and has been the General Manager of Sales for mining equipment since 2001. Stephen was currently working from SMS's Head Office in Acheson, Alberta. Over the past several years, Stephen developed great relationships and will be missed by many people both at SMS and throughout our network of customers and suppliers.

In consideration for the Brosseau family in this time of grieving, we ask that the media and all refrain from contacting the family. Our prayers and thoughts are with family and friends.  
==========
     
A former owner of the Calgary Hitmen is one of the victims of Friday's light airplane crash near Sundre that took the lives of three people.

The death of Chuck Matson is being mourned by the likes of the Calgary Flames organization and former NHLer Theoren Fleury, who wrote about their friendship in his autobiography, Playing With Fire.

"He was the ultimate friend, that's for sure. I remember the day I got traded from Calgary, he was the first guy I called and asked if he'd accompany me to Colorado," Fleury said Saturday.

"It was a tough day for me, but he was a friend and helped me get through those first days.

"There's a lot of people who are going to miss him. He was a guy's guy. He was a man of faith, a man of incredible integrity and class. Chuck was a leader. He was a self-made man, an incredibly hard worker, and smart."

Matson leaves behind his wife, three daughters and grandchildren.

The crash also killed a 42-yearold Edmonton man and a 43-yearold man from Spruce Grove, police say.

The names of those men have not been released pending positive identification through the Calgary Medical Examiner and notification of next of kin, said Sundre RCMP.

There is no word yet what caused the single-engine, four-seater Cirrus SR22 to spiral down and slam into a field northwest of Calgary.

The threat of rain in today's forecast forced investigators to rush recording evidence at the crash site outside Sundre.

Officials from the Transportation and Safety Board of Canada were there Saturday working to preserve "perishable evidence" such as scorch marks in the grass.

"Rain can erase a lot of information for us," said TSB spokesman John Lee.

Two investigators spent Saturday collecting evidence and interviewing eyewitnesses for more details about the crash.

The small white plane, owned by Matson, crashed shortly before 2 p.m. in a field northwest of Sundre at Township Road 332 and Range Road 63.

Witnesses de-scribed the sight of the aircraft spiralling down nose first, and exploding into a "big orange fireball followed by a mushroom cloud of black smoke."

The property owners called 911 for help and raced to the scene, but could do nothing to help.

Cirrus aircraft are equipped with an emergency parachute designed to lower the entire aircraft to the ground in an emergency.

It is not known whether the pilot deployed the parachute.

Fleury said he expected Matson to travel to Toronto to watch him perform on the television figure skating competition, Battle of the Blades.

"I know he was going to come out and watch. I'll probably dedicate the first show to him."

The Calgary Flames, which bought the Hitmen in 1997, issued a statement Saturday evening.

"As a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen, Chuck was an important member of our hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a key role in returning the Western Hockey League to our city.

"The Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen would like to extend our condolences to Chuck's family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of sorrow."

Matson was born and raised in Eston, Sask.

In 1979 he started a kitchen cabinet sales and installation business in Saskatoon.

When interest rates pinched housing-related businesses, he sold the company and joined Superior Oilwell Cementers as a truck driver in 1983.

He and a partner bought the company from their bosses.

They tripled the company's revenue within two years to about $4.5 million a year, winning entrepreneurial awards along the way.
=========
  
Employees at an Edmonton area industrial supply company are mourning the loss of their colleague who died in a plane crash near Sundre Friday afternoon.

Stephen Brosseau, a vice president of export sales and marketing for SMS Equipment, was in a light plane with former Calgary Hitmen co-owner Chuck Matson and a 42-year-old Edmonton man whose identity has yet to be released.

All three died in the plane that crashed in a farmer’s field just west of the small town about 130 km northwest of Calgary.

The company said in a statement that Brosseau, 43, was pursuing his pilot’s license and was in the process of buying a light plane with another person.

“We do know that Stephen was excited about flying and that he was pursuing his passion and his dream,” said SMS Equipment in a statement.

“Our deepest condolences are extended to his family and friends.”

The company says Brosseau will be missed by his wife, Janet, his two children, his mother, stepfather and four brothers.

Brosseau worked for SMS Equipment since 1994 and was in charge of the company’s mining equipment sales division since 2001.

“Over the past several years, Stephen developed great relationships and will be missed by many people, both at SMS and throughout our network of customers and suppliers,” read the statement.

The company says funeral arrangements are still being planned.

According to FlightAware.com, the plane, registered to Matson, left Edmonton on Thursday night and landed at Calgary’s Springbank Airport on Friday.

A spokesman with the Transportation Safety Board said flight records show Matson’s plane left Springbank Airport on Friday. No destination was provided in the log, which officials say could indicate the plane was making a brief, round-trip flight back to Springbank, where Matson maintained a private hangar.

An online ad posted in August suggested Matson was interested in selling the four-seater Cirrus SR22.

Harvey Matson says his brother struck a tentative deal over the sale of his plane.

Matson was a man “larger than life” and a meticulous pilot coming from a family full of them, his brother Harvey said Sunday.

Matson, 51, had logged more than 600 hours of flight and had recently purchased a new, twin-engine plane to replace the Cirrus SR22, to allow him to climb higher for more comfortable flights between homes in Calgary, Arizona and British Columbia.

“I believe it was for his 40th birthday that (his wife) Elaine gave him flight lessons,” Harvey Matson told QMI Agency from his Wisconsin home.

“Our dad was a pilot, our mom was a pilot, uncles are pilots, farmers, crop-dusters, bush pilots in the north ... it’s kind of in the blood,” he said.

Matson purchased the plane new about five years ago, said his brother.

Harvey Matson says he and the rest of the family are awaiting more information from the Transportation Safety Board.

In the meantime, his brother’s wife and three daughters are left to grieve.
=========

The latest now on a single-engine plane crash that has left the families of two Edmonton area men, and one from Calgary, devastated.

The Transportation Safety Board's Chris Krepski says they expect to wrap up the assessment phase of their investigation into the cause of the fatal crash in the next few days.

"We're going to take some pieces of interest for further analysis and getting information for other sources and then back to the office," he says. "We're still assessing what level investigation we're going to do on this."

Krepski could not say exactly what pieces investigators are interested in after witness say the plane spiralled down to the ground near Sundre, Friday afternoon.

He says typically the parts range from instruments, to the engine, to the whole plane in some cases.

The four-seater had taken off Friday afternoon from the Calgary/Springbank Airport, but its destination remains unknown.

RCMP have yet to release the names of the victims, but the family of the plane's owner, Chuck Matson, 51, of Calgary, is asking for privacy.
 ============
  
CALGARY -- The owner of a single-engine plane which crashed near Sundre, Alta., was a man "larger than life" and a meticulous pilot coming from a family full of them, his brother said Sunday.

Chuck Matson, the 51-year-old former Calgary Hitmen owner and business tycoon, had logged more than 600 hours of flight and had recently purchased a new, twin-engine plane to replace the Cirrus SR22, to allow him to climb higher for more comfortable flights between homes in Calgary, Arizona and British Columbia.

"I believe it was for his 40th birthday that (his wife) Elaine gave him flight lessons," Chuck Matson's grieving brother Harvey told QMI Agency from his Wisconsin home.

"Our dad was a pilot, our mom was a pilot, uncles are pilots, farmers, crop-dusters, bush pilots in the north ... it's kind of in the blood," he said.

Matson was among three men killed when his four-seater plane crashed into a grove of trees in a farmer's field just north of Sundre, about 130 km northwest of Calgary.

A 42-year-old man from Edmonton and a 43-year-old Spruce Grove resident -- identified by friends as 42-year-old Spruce Grove resident Steve Brousseau -- were also killed.

Two weeks ago, Matson told his brother a tentative deal had been struck over the sale of his plane, which he had listed in an online ad.

Chuck purchased the plane new about five years ago.

A spokesman with the Transportation Safety Board said flight records show Matson's plane left Springbank Airport on Friday. No destination was provided in the log, which officials say could indicate the plane was making a brief, round-trip flight back to Springbank, where Matson maintained a private hangar.

Matson's brother said he, and the rest of the family, are awaiting more information from the Transportation Safety Board.

"All I know is Chuck never did anything half-assed in his life, I don't know what happened in that plane but it had to be catastrophic," Harvey said.

In the meantime, Harvey and the rest of his brother's family, including the man's three daughters and wife, are left to grieve.

Hailing from small-town Eston, Sask., Chuck spent some years selling Ford vehicles before packing up and moving to Calgary, where eventually he began working in the oil patch.

Later on, he became one of the founding co-owners of the Calgary Hitmen, along with Theo Fleury and Bret 'The Hitman' Hart.

Harvey called his brother a magnetic man others gravitated toward.

Following Haiti's devastating earthquake, Harvey, a pastor, organized a relief and restructuring mission consisting of a team form the U.S. and Honduras, of which his brother was a part.

Chuck rolled up his sleeves and helped to remove rubble from damaged orphanages and built new temporary facilities.

"Chuck never left the farm" his brother said.

"He was in there like a dirty shirt, moving the rubble, helping the kids.

"Looking back, after the accident, what a gift to have that ten days was."
 =========

CALGARY - The hockey world is mourning the loss of former Calgary Hitmen owner Chuck Matson, who was killed in a plane crash near Sundre along with two other Albertans.

Matson, 51, who was one of original part-owners of the Western Hockey League team along with Theoren Fleury and Bret Hart, was among the three men who died when the single engine, four-seat Cirrus SR22 crashed into a farmer’s field just west of Sundre Friday afternoon.

A 42-year-old man from Edmonton, and a 43-year-old man from Spruce Grove, Alta., whose names haven’t been released, were also killed.

The news has shocked and saddened those who knew him best, like Fleury.

“He was a man of faith, a man of integrity, a self-made man, a hard working guy,” he said of Matson, who founded an oil and gas company.

“I remember the day I got traded from Calgary, he was the first guy I called.”

Matson is survived by his wife Elaine and three daughters, said Fleury.

“He has an amazing family he should have been very proud of,” he said.

“It’s been a difficult day.”

Matson’s family were too distraught to comment Saturday.

A spokesman for Transportation Safety Board confirmed the small plane departed from Springbank Airport the same day, although its destination is still unknown.

“Apparently there wasn’t a flight plan filed for this aircraft ... we weren’t aware of any,” said spokesman Chris Krepski.

“There are regulations regarding when flight plans are required or not, depending on the nature of a flight.”

Investigators were still at the scene Saturday, along with representatives from Cirrus Aircraft, who were on site providing technical expertise to investigators and conducting their own probe of the crash.

According to FlightAware.com, the plane, registered to Matson, left Edmonton on Thursday night and landed at Calgary’s Springbank Airport on Friday.

An online ad posted in August suggested Matson was interested in selling the aircraft.

The Flames, which now own the Hitmen, issued a statement expressing their sadness at the loss.

“Chuck was an important member of our hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a key role in returning the Western Hockey League to our City,” the statement said.

“The Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen would like to extend our condolences to Chuck’s family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of sorrow.”

Sun sports columnist Eric Francis said Matson was an influential man in the junior hockey world.

“Hitmen fans have people like Chuck to thank for bringing junior hockey to Calgary,” he said.

“Not only was he an investor, he cared deeply for the players, especially those who had to carry on after Graham James devastated the organization.

“When the organization was at its lowest point, Chuck was at one of his finest.
 ==============

According to an e-mail sent out to employees of a local supply company, one of the victims killed in a fiery plane crash near Sundre on Friday was Steve Brousseau – a man who had recently purchased a light aircraft in partnership with another individual.

The note was sent to workers of SMS Equipment Inc. on Saturday night. It follows an RCMP-issued press release that stated a 43-year-old man from Spruce Grove was among the three people killed when the Cirrus model SR-22 went down around 1:30 p.m.

The aircraft's owner, 51-year-old Charles Matson of Calgary, was also killed in the incident, along with an unidentified 42-year-old man from Edmonton.

Investigators have yet to determine who was in the pilot's seat.

The Canada Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident, which happened about 30 minutes after takeoff and left no survivors.

Investigators say they've ruled out weather as a factor, but will be looking into what role mechanical and human error may have played. An electronic flight information system was recovered from the site and may provide clues.

Officials say they also need to determine why a safety parachute wasn't deployed.

According to SMS Equipment Ltd., Brousseau had worked in various sales positions with the company since 1994 and served as the General Manager of sales for mining equipment since 2001.

The email sent out to employees reads in part, "We do know that Steve was excited about flying and that he was pursuing his passion and his dream.

"He had many great relationships and will be missed by many people both at SMS and throughout our network of customers and suppliers."
=========
  
The owner of a single-engine plane which crashed near Sundre was a man “larger than life” and a meticulous pilot coming from a family full of them, his brother said Sunday.

Chuck Matson, the 51-year-old former Calgary Hitmen owner and business tycoon, had logged more than 600 hours of flight and had recently purchased a new, twin-engine plane to replace the Cirrus SR22, to allow him to climb higher for more comfortable flights between homes in Calgary, Arizona and B.C.

“I believe it was for his 40th birthday that (his wife) Elaine gave him flight lessons,” Chuck Matson’s grieving brother Harvey told the Sun from his Wisconsin home.

“Our dad was a pilot, our mom was a pilot, uncles are pilots, farmers, crop-dusters, bush pilots in the north...it’s kind of in the blood,” he said.

Matson was among three men killed when his four-seater plane crashed into a grove of trees in a farmer’s field just north of Sundre, about 130 km northwest of Calgary.

A 42-year-old man from Edmonton and a 43-year-old Spruce Grove resident — identified by friends as 42-year-old Spruce Grove resident Steve Brousseau — were also killed.

Two weeks ago, Matson told his brother a tentative deal had been struck over the sale of his plane, which he had listed in an online ad.

Chuck purchased the plane new about five years ago.

A spokesman with the Transportation Safety Board said flight records show Matson’s plane left Springbank Airport on Friday. No destination was provided in the log, which officials say could indicate the plane was making a brief, round-trip flight back to Springbank, where Matson maintained a private hangar.

Matson’s brother said he, and the rest of the family, are awaiting more information from the Transportation Safety Board.

“All I know is Chuck never did anything half-assed in his life, I don’t know what happened in that plane but it had to be catastrophic,” Harvey said.

In the meantime, Harvey and the rest of his brother’s family, including the man’s three daughters and wife, are left to grieve.

Hailing from small-town Eston, Sask., Chuck spent some years selling Ford vehicles before packing up and moving to Calgary, where eventually he began working in the oil patch.

Later on, he became one of the founding co-owners of the Calgary Hitmen, along with Theo Fleury and Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart.

Harvey called his brother a magnetic man others gravitated toward.

Following Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Harvey, a pastor, organized a relief and restructuring mission consisting of a team form the U.S. and Honduras, of which his brother was a part.

Chuck rolled up his sleeves and helped to remove rubble from damaged orphanages and built new temporary facilities.

“Chuck never left the farm” his brother said.

“He was in there like a dirty shirt, moving the rubble, helping the kids.

“Looking back, after the accident, what a gift to have that ten days was.”
======

A well-known Calgary man killed in a plane crash near Sundre is being remembered as a devoted husband and father, a loyal friend, and a generous person.

51-year-old Charles "Chuck" Matson owned the plane that crashed in a ball of flames in a farmer's field Friday afternoon.

On Sunday, family and friends gathered at his home to remember Matson's life both on and off the ice.

Elaine Matson and her three daughters are being comforted by family and friends. They're struggling with the death of their husband and father.

"As a family, they've been through a tremendous amount and he was always kind of the quarterback who got everybody through," said the family's spokesperson, Kent Racz.

Matson was one of three people on board when the plane went down. All three men died in the crash.

Friends remember Matson for his generosity and willingness to share with others.

"Whatever Chuck could do for anybody else, that was his motivation for life. He bought place in B.C. with a cabin and it had to have a guest house so that all his friends and family could come out and share in the joy," added Racz.

"He was my best friend. He was very giving, very generous, he was always doing stuff for somebody else," said Jack Francis.

Matson owned the aircraft, a Cirrus SR-22. It was up for sale and on a demonstration flight before the crash. Matson's family says he was in the process of selling it so he could upsize to another aircraft. They say he loved to fly.

"For their 25th wedding anniversary, Elaine was kind enough to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot and gave him flying lessons and he subsequently bought a plane," said Racz.

Matson was well known in the hockey community. He was one of the founding owners of the Calgary Hitmen.

Theoren Fleury issued a statement to CTV News that said:

"Matson had integrity and class. He was a tremendous family man. I feel like I've lost a brother."

The Calgary Flames own the Hitmen now. They're also saddened by the news:

"Chuck was an important part of the hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a role in returning the Western Hockey League to our city."

Above all this, friends say Matson's real loves of his life were his wife, daughters and grandchildren. And as they grieve their loss, the family is preparing for the joy of a new addition to the family: Matson's eldest daughter is about to give birth to a baby he'll never meet.

The family identifies Steve Brosseau of Edmonton as one of the other men on board the plane.

The other victim is an unidentified 42-year-old man, also from Edmonton.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the crash.

Autopsies on all three men will be conducted on Monday.
 ===========

CALGARY — The former owner of a popular Calgary junior hockey team was one of three men killed in an Alberta airplane crash on Friday, sources say.

Police have not confirmed the identities of the victims however the Calgary Herald has learned Chuck Matson, the plane’s owner, died in the crash. Matson, who leaves a wife, three daughters and grandchildren, was a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen in the 1990s.

The Calgary Flames released a statement on Matson’s passing on Saturday, offering condolences to the businessman’s family.

“It is with great sadness that we received the news of the sudden and tragic passing of Chuck Matson,” it read. “As a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen, Chuck was an important member of our hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a key role in returning the Western Hockey League to our city.”

Matson, 51, was a close friend to former Calgary Flames star Theoren Fleury, who wrote about the value of his friendship in his autobiography, Playing With Fire.

“He was the ultimate friend, that’s for sure. I remember the day I got traded from Calgary, he was the first guy I called and asked if he’d accompany me to Colorado. It was a tough day for me, but he was a friend and helped me get through those first days,” said Fleury.

“There’s a lot of people who are going to miss him. He was a guy’s guy. He was a man of faith, a man of incredible integrity and class. Chuck was a leader. He was a self-made man, an incredibly hard worker, and smart.”

Fleury says he expected Matson to travel to Toronto to watch him perform on the television figure skating competition, Battle of the Blades. “I know he was gong to come out and watch. I’ll probably dedicate the first show to him.”

Matson, born and raised in Eston, Sask., found success after joining Calgary’s Superior Oilwell Cementers Inc. as a trucker in the 1980s. He and a partner bought the company from their bosses. They tripled the company’s revenue within two years, winning entrepreneurial awards along the way.

The threat of rain in the weekend forecast forced investigators to rush recording evidence at the scene of the deadly light airplane crash outside Sundre, Alta.

There is no word yet what caused the single-engine, four-seater Cirrus SR22 to spiral down and slam into a field about 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary, killing three men Friday.

Matson died alongside a 42-year-old man from Edmonton and a 43-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., police say.

Officials from Transportation Safety Board of Canada were at the scene all day Saturday working quickly to preserve “perishable evidence,” such as scorch marks in the grass.

“Rain can erase a lot of information for us,” said spokesman John Lee.

Two investigators spent Saturday collecting evidence and interviewing eyewitnesses for more details about the crash.

Witnesses described the sight of the aircraft spiralling down nose first, and exploding into a “big orange fireball followed by a mushroom cloud of black smoke.”

The property owners called 911 for help and raced to the passengers’ aid, but could do nothing to help.

It is not known whether the pilot deployed the plane’s emergency parachute. Cirrus aircraft are equipped with a parachute designed to lower the entire aircraft to the ground in an emergency.
 =========
  
SUNDRE, Alta. - Hockey teams in Calgary say one of the victims of a deadly small plane crash in Alberta was once a part owner of the Calgary Hitmen hockey team.

Police say the three victims of the crash north of Calgary on Friday were all men from Alberta but RCMP haven't released their names yet.

On Saturday afternoon, the NHL's Calgary Flames and the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL issued a statement expressing their sadness at the loss of Charles Matson, 51.

"As a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen, Chuck was an important member of our hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a key role in returning the Western Hockey League to our city," the teams said in a joint statement issued Saturday.

"The Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen would like to extend our condolences to Chuck's family.

The single-engine Cirrus SR-22 crashed by a grove of trees in a farm field near Sundre, northwest of Calgary. Witnesses say they saw the aircraft spiral downward and explode in a fireball.

Police say a 42-year-old from Edmonton and a 43-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta. were also killed.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
 ============
  
More details are emerging after a single engine plane crash northwest of Calgary claimed the lives of three men.

Global News is reporting the plane was last registered to a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen WHL hockey team.

And now the Calgary Flames and the Hitmen have released a statement expressing condolences on the sudden passing of Chuck Matson.

An Edmonton man and a Spruce Grove man are also believed to have died in the crash, but RCMP have not officially released any names at this point.

On Friday, witnesses say the plane spiraled down from the sky in a farmer's field near Sundre, exploding on impact.

Chris Krepski is with the Transportation Safety Board.

He says investigators are still looking for the cause.

"They spend the day at the crash site examining the wreckage in conjunction with representatives from the aircraft manufacturer. They have been talking to witnesses."

Krepski says the Cirrus SR-22 was equipped with an airframe parachute system, but it appears it was not deployed.

The plane departed from the Calgary Springbank Airport, but the destination has yet to be determined.
============

Officials with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are taking the lead in the investigation into a small plane crash that killed three people in southern Alberta on Friday.

The three men died when a single-engine plane crashed into a farmer's field near Sundre, about 100 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

The victims were tentatively identified as a 51-year-old Calgary man, a 42-year-old man from Edmonton and a 43-year-old man from Spruce Grove. Their names were not released.

Police say a witness called 911 just before 2 p.m. MT to report a possible plane crash. The plane appeared to spin out of control before the crash, police were told.

"There was a fire," RCMP Const. Wes Bensmiller said. "When we got here it was just scorched trees and smouldering fire. …The plane is completely destroyed."

He said it does not appear the Sundre airport received a distress call.

"We're probably at least six or eight miles away from the airport right now," Bensmiller said. "We don't know at this time where the airplane was coming from or going to, unfortunately."

The bodies were removed from the scene Friday night.

Two Transportation Safety Board investigators were sent to the crash site from Edmonton and were expected to spend much of the day there Saturday, trying to determine what went wrong.  
=============

Scorched treetops and flattened debris are all that remain from the crash that blew a Cirrus SR22 airplane to pieces in pastureland Friday afternoon, killing three people.

There were no survivors, said Sundre RCMP Const. Wes Bensmiller.

The sight of the crash took Lance Dejax's breath away.

"It was coming straight down, spiralling straight toward the ground," said Dejax. "At first I thought he was doing stunts, but then I realized he was too close to the ground and the next thing you know, boom, the plane hit the ground and a 250-foot fireball went into the air."

The four-seater aircraft crashed shortly before 2 p.m. in the field northwest of Sundre at Township Road 332 and Range Road 63.

Dejux's father, Jeff, was working on machinery nearby, so he didn't hear the plane above his yard.

"But I felt the concussion. I felt it when it hit the ground," said Dejux, who called 911 as soon he saw the fire.

"There was an explosion and it sent shock waves through the air. Then I looked and I saw this big orange fireball come up, just a tower of orange flame, followed by a mushroom cloud of black smoke."

The father and son jumped in a truck and raced toward the plane, hoping they would be able to help the pilot and passengers.

"We were there within two minutes and it was obvious there weren't any survivors," said Dejux, who moved his family onto the rural property just a month ago. "There was nothing we could have done."

The small aircraft was a crumpled mess of metal, resting on a small hill on Dejux's land amid some trees.

Investigators were working at the site in the dark under a nearly full moon, with only the lights from police vehicles to guide them.

The elder Dejux said it's heartbreaking to know that the pilot and passengers had likely enjoyed a remarkable view of the valley to the east and the mountains to the west on such a beautiful fall day before crashing.

"I just feel so much sadness for these families, knowing that tonight there are families out there who are just devastated," he said.

It is not known whether the pilot deployed the plane's emergency parachute. Cirrus aircraft are equipped with a parachute designed to lower the entire aircraft to the ground in an emergency.

Officials with the Transportation and Safety Board of Canada are in Sundre investigating.

On Friday, little was known about the airplane's passengers, where it was heading or what caused it to fall from the sky.

Board officials and the Calgary medical examiner were on the scene investigating. The board is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. It aims to improve safety, and does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.  Sundre is 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary. 

GATINEAU, QC, January 12, 2012 - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) today released its final investigation report (A10W0155) into the September 2010 crash of privately owned Cirrus SR22 near Sundre, Alberta. The aircraft was on a visual flight rules flight from Calgary/Springbank Airport to the area of Sundre, Alberta, with 3 persons on board. About 5 nautical miles northwest of Sundre, the aircraft entered a steep turning descent from about 1600 feet above the ground, striking the ground in a field at 1347 Mountain Daylight Time. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a severe post-impact fire. No emergency locator transmitter signal was received. The 3 occupants were fatally injured.

NEAR SUNDRE, Alberta -- Three people were killed after a small aircraft crashed into a farmer's field just west of Sundre, Alta., Friday afternoon, the Transportation Safety Board says.

Every one on board the single engine, four-seat Cirrus SR22 was killed, Mounties said, as they cordoned off the crash site near a grove of aspen. The wreckage and scorched trees were clearly visible from the highway, about 10 km west of the town about 130 km northwest of Calgary.

"We don't know where the plane was coming from or going to, unfortunately," said Sundre RCMP Const. Wes Bensmiller.

"When we got here it was just scorched trees and smouldering fire -- the plane was completely destroyed."

Emergency crews arrived too late to rescue any of the individuals, all adults, believed to be on board the plane.

Bensmiller said someone in the area called 911 just before 2 p.m. to report a possible crash.

"We have interviewed him, but I can't comment on what he saw because I haven't seen his statement," he said.

"He did see the plane go down."

He added it appeared at some point there was a fire or explosion.

The scene is not far from an airfield but police could not say if the aircraft might have been heading there or anything about the identities of the individuals aboard.

Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board were en route from Edmonton to begin looking into the crash, said spokesman Chris Krepski.

"They will be gathering information about the aircraft, the maintenance history, the pilot's history, training records and anything like that," he said.

"Looking at weather, air traffic control communications, you name it trying to gather as much information as we can right now to assess what level of investigation we're going to do.

"They need a little bit of time to get on the ground and get their bearings."

The plane wasn't from the Sundre Flying Club, said member Alf Bicknell, who described the Sundre airport as well-used for its size.

"We have something like 3,500 operations off this airport in a year here," he said.

"We have (1,300-metres) of runway, we have a Global Navigation Let-Down Approach on the airport as well and it's all hard surface.

"We have lights for night operation."

Bicknell said the airport is a common fuel stop for pilots.

"We get quite a few Americans coming down from Alaska," he said.
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Answers to explain what caused a small airplane to spiral out of the sky, crashing and killing all three passengers, may never be known, investigators say.

"It's an ongoing affair. It takes time to try to come up with a plausible explanation. Very complex investigations can take years," said Canada Transportation Safety Board investigator John Pearson.

Investigators say the aircraft's parachute was not pulled while the plane was plummeting to the ground.

"We know for a fact it deployed on impact with the ground. The pin was out of it, but there's no indication it was pulled in flight," said Pearson.

It's unclear who was piloting the aircraft when it spiralled into a field 130 kilo-metres northwest of Calgary on Sept. 24. The Cirrus model SR-22's owner, Calgarian Chuck Matson, was flying with Stephen Brosseau and another Edmonton man.
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Transportation Safety Board investigators remain hopeful they can determine the cause of last Friday’s crash that killed three men, although they say it’s not a certainty.

“With the level of destruction of the airplane, it’s very difficult to establish something 100 per cent. We do have some people who saw the event, and that will help, but we may never know why it got into the situation it did,” said senior Transportation Safety Board investigator John Pearson, one of two investigators deployed to the scene.

The two senior investigators with the air branch of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada began their investigation at the scene of the accident Saturday morning.

They were close to wrapping up the site examination part of the investigation by early afternoon.

By then, they had determined there was no evidence of an in-flight fire, verified in-flight continuity of flight control systems, airframe parts were accounted for, weather had been ruled out as a factor, and had evidence that the plane was going on a very steep angle of descent when it hit the ground.

At that point, they hadn’t yet talked to any eyewitnesses, although said their information would be very important. At least one person saw the plane going down.

“We may or may not have some information from the aircraft that can help us out with some electronic data that we can derive. We can be hopeful, but that’s not as good as just having someone see it, that’s a reliable witness to it. So we’ll be talking to him for sure and trying to see what he saw and maybe do some analysis of that,” said Pearson.

The actual trail from where the plane made initial ground contact to the main wreckage site is just a matter of feet, Pearson said.

“That indicates to us that there was a very steep angle of descent,” he said.

Wreckage was confined to a relatively small area.

“Probably 200 feet would cover all of it including things that were thrown away from the machine,” Pearson said.

Investigators combed through the wreckage.

“There’s nothing there that is functional or serviceable anymore so we have to look at various key areas of the aircraft for signatures that will identify the attitude of the aircraft when it hit the ground,” said Bill Kemp, the second senior investigator on scene.

Pearson said they examined the wreckage for inclusion of all parts of the airframe to make sure nothing was missing, nothing had come off it and all the parts were there.

The tail and wingtips were located on scene.

“And if they’re there, intact, and (we) back that up with some of the ground scars to show us they really are there, the wings didn’t fall off,” Pearson said.

Control cable continuity is another key area.

“(We) try to determine that nothing came unhooked that may have caused loss of control, for instance,” he added.

Kemp said they verified in-flight continuity of the flight control systems. The cables were still intact. They intended to remove some pieces of the wreckage to take back to their Edmonton facility.

“We’ll take the engine, just as a matter of course to be thorough, to see if there were any problems with the engine. The engine in and of itself shouldn’t be a cause of, a direct cause of the airplane doing this,” Pearson said, adding this part of the investigation will take a couple of weeks. Investigators recovered instruments from the cockpit they said they were hoping would give information about the status of the airplane at impact, particularly from the electronic flight information systems.

“They might be able to give us an idea of what the last flight was like and hopefully the last few seconds. We’re hopeful, put it that way. With the level of damage to it, really optimistic but we’re hopeful,” Pearson said, adding the unit “took a pretty good knock.”

The investigators will be asking the plane’s US-based manufacturer to download some of the codes from the system’s circuit boards’ chips, if possible.

“We may be able to get some data from that, that will give us the last few minutes of flight or perhaps the entire flight from Springbank,” Pearson said.

Their investigation will take them to a Springbank hangar as well, as that is where the airplane was stored.

“We hear there may be some paperwork there of interest to us,” Pearson said.

Investigators want to talk to maintenance crews, and examine records to help determine the plane’s past maintenance history.

“And we also look into the human side of the equation. The pilots, the maintenance personnel, etc. who might have been involved with it,” he said.

Environmental factors are also considered, although weather doesn’t seem to be a factor, Pearson said.

“It was a day I think similar to this (warm temperatures) and just a little light wind with high broken cloud. So we can pretty much rule that out so we’re concentrating on the aircraft itself and the crew, the pilots.”

The goal of the investigation is to determine the cause as well as determine any safety deficiencies that might arise from that cause. If appropriate, investigators could issue recommendations to agents of change including regulators and manufacturers.

“At a very minimum, we support the medical examiner in their investigation.”
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Scorched treetops and flattened debris are all that remain from the crash that blew a Cirrus SR22 airplane to pieces in pastureland Friday afternoon, killing three people.

There were no survivors, said Sundre RCMP Const. Wes Bensmiller.

The sight of the crash took Lance Dejax's breath away.

"It was coming straight down, spiralling straight toward the ground," said Dejax. "At first I thought he was doing stunts, but then I realized he was too close to the ground and the next thing you know, boom, the plane hit the ground and a 250-foot fireball went into the air."

The aircraft crashed shortly before 2 p.m. in the field northwest of Sundre at Township Road 332 and Range Road 63.

Dejux's father, Jeff, was working on machinery nearby, so he didn't hear the plane above his yard.

"But I felt the concussion. I felt it when it hit the ground," said Dejux, who called 911 as soon he saw the fire.

"There was an explosion and it sent shock waves through the air. Then I looked and I saw this big orange fireball come up, just a tower of orange flame, followed by a mushroom cloud of black smoke."

The father and son jumped in a truck and raced toward the plane, hoping they would be able to help the pilot and passengers.

"We were there within two minutes and it was obvious there weren't any survivors," said Dejux, who moved his family onto the rural property just a month ago. "There was nothing we could have done."

The small aircraft was a crumpled mess of metal, resting on a small hill on Dejux's land amid some trees.

Investigators were working at the site in the dark under a nearly full moon, with only the lights from police vehicles to guide them.

The elder Dejux said it's heartbreaking to know that the pilot and passengers had likely enjoyed a remarkable view of the valley to the east and the mountains to the west on such a beautiful fall day before crashing.

"I just feel so much sadness for these families, knowing that tonight there are families out there who are just devastated," he said.

It is not known whether the pilot deployed the plane's emergency parachute. Cirrus aircraft are equipped with a parachute designed to lower the entire aircraft to the ground in an emergency.

Officials with the Transportation and Safety Board of Canada are in Sundre investigating.

On Friday, little was known about the airplane's passengers, where it was heading or what caused it to fall from the sky.

Board officials and the Calgary medical examiner were on the scene investigating. The board is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline, railway and aviation transportation occurrences. It aims to improve safety, and does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

Sundre is 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary.
=============

Three people have been killed in a small plane crash about 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary, the RCMP said Friday afternoon.

No one on board the aircraft survived, according to Sundre RCMP.

The small aircraft of unknown make went down in a farmer's field about eight kilometres west and 1.5 kilometres north of Sundre.

The light plane crashed outside of Sundre, which is about 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary.The light plane crashed outside of Sundre, which is about 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary. RCMP said they responded to a 911 call of a possible plane crash shortly before 2 p.m. MT.

Const. Wes Bensmiller said the plane was lying in pieces and there appeared to have been a fire.

An eyewitness told police the plane appeared to be spinning out of control before the crash.

Police said they don't yet know where the flight originated or where it was headed.

Sundre RCMP, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Calgary medical examiner's office are investigating.
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The former owner of a popular Calgary junior hockey team was one of three men killed in a airplane crash on Friday, sources say.

Police have not confirmed the identities of the victims however the Calgary Herald has learned Chuck Matson, the plane's owner, died in the crash. Matson, who leaves a wife, three daughters and grandchildren, was a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen in the 1990s.

The Calgary Flames released a statement on Matson's passing on Saturday, offering condolences to the businessman's family.

"It is with great sadness that we received the news of the sudden and tragic passing of Chuck Matson," it read. "As a former owner of the Calgary Hitmen, Chuck was an important member of our hockey family and a respected individual in the Calgary community who played a key role in returning the Western Hockey League to our city."

Matson, 51, was a close friend to former Calgary Flames star Theoren Fleury, who wrote about the value of his friendship in his autobiography, Playing With Fire. "He was the ultimate friend, that's for sure. I remember the day I got traded from Calgary, he was the first guy I called and asked if he'd accompany me to Colorado. It was a tough day for me, but he was a friend and helped me get through those first days," said Fleury.

"There's a lot of people who are going to miss him. He was a guy's guy. He was a man of faith, a man of incredible integrity and class. Chuck was a leader. He was a self-made man, an incredibly hard worker, and smart."

Matson, born and raised in Eston, Sask., found success after joining Calgary's Superior Oilwell Cementers Inc. as a trucker in the 1980s. He and a partner bought the company from their bosses. They tripled the company's revenue within two years, winning entrepreneurial awards along the way.

The threat of rain in the weekend forecast forced investigators to rush recording evidence at the scene of the fiery, fatal light airplane crash outside Sundre, Alta.

There is no word yet what caused the single-engine, four-seater Cirrus SR22 to spiral down and slam into afield about 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary, killing three men Friday. Matson died alongside a 42-year-old man from Edmonton and a 43-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., police say.
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A dedicated father and husband was about to fulfil his flying dream when he was killed in a plane crash, say family and friends.

“Just last weekend, he was telling the family that he was purchasing this plane. He was like a little boy who was getting a big prize. He took care of his family first, and now he could finally get his plane,” said Nemer Fayad, crash victim James DuBarry’s brother-in-law.

“What happened to the plane, we believe that’s destiny and that was his last, final hoorah.”

DuBarry and Stephen Bros-seau, from Edmonton and Spruce Grove respectively, took off from the Calgary Springbank airport Friday for one last test flight of the 2006 Cirrus SR22 single-prop when the plane crashed near Sundre, 230 km southwest of Edmonton.

Plane owner Chuck Matson was also aboard. No one survived.

One of the plane’s features DuBarry talked about at the family gathering was a parachute system that would launch if the plane ever lost control, said Fayad.

“It was sort of ironic that this special plane with this special feature didn’t (work),” Fayad said. “Those are questions the family is not concerned about.

“If there’s any consolation, he passed doing his passion.”

The plane was flown to Edmonton for inspection and flew back to Calgary from Edmonton City Centre Airport Friday, said Fayad.

An online ad for the plane was posted in August. Fayad pegged the price at about $300,000.

DuBarry started flying at age 17. He was a member of the Edmonton Flying Club, said Fayad, and had logged extensive flying hours.

DuBarry travelled often across western Canada for work, said Pathway Asset Management principal John David.

The company sells financial products to resource companies. DuBarry had worked at Pathway for about five years, and was recently promoted to executive vice-president.

DuBarry was due home in time for supper with his wife of 10 years, Amel, and 10-year-old son Jordan the day of the flight, David said.

He had called DuBarry Friday evening, but the call was never returned.

“I assumed ... he had a late night, that he’d call back Saturday,” said David.

“You just can’t imagine life without him,” he said. “When I called and emailed people (about the death), they were just stunned.

“You don’t come across too many people like James, and that’s why it’s going to be such a big loss. He inspired a great deal of loyalty.”

Funeral plans have not yet been set, said Fayad. The medical examiner has yet to release DuBarry’s body to the family.
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EDMONTON -  Pilots who fly a high-performance plane similar to the one that crashed in central Alberta, killing three, are dismayed and puzzled why a parachute attached to the airframe wasn't deployed.

"It's frustrating to realize people have died in a plane that has this extra feature," Rick Beach of the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association said Monday in an interview from Duluth, Minn.

"The parachute can be activated within the airplane by anyone in it," he said.

"Our first question is: How were those pilots dealing with the difficult situation they were in, and not using the parachute not using the last-option safety resort?"

The three men were killed Friday afternoon when their Cirrus SR-22 single-engine plane spun in clear skies and crashed in a field near Sundre, 130 kilometres northwest of Calgary, and burst into flames.

The owner of the plane has been identified as Charles Matson of Calgary. Matson, 51, was a former part owner of the Calgary Hitmen junior hockey team and was in the process of finalizing the sale of the plane to Steve Brosseau, 43, of Spruce Grove, Alta., and James DuBarry, 42, of Edmonton.

"I think the deal was just about 100 percent done," DuBarry's brother-in-law, Nemer Fayad, told CTV Edmonton.

Both DuBarry and Matson were qualified pilots; Brosseau was learning to fly. It is not yet known who was at the helm of the plane, which has dual flight controls.

Cirrus SR-22 is a popular, leading-edge craft. A four-seater with a 310 horsepower engine, it is known for the state-of-the-art, flat-screen digital displays in its cockpit and a composite airframe that is lighter and more flexible than aluminum. It can cruise to a maximum 391 km/h.  Its signature design feature is the parachute system, which has been around for a decade and is standard on the Cirrus aircraft.

1 comment:

  1. Perhaps minor points, but the report repeats common misconceptions about the Cirrus flight control system. The report states: "Spring forces in the system centralize the yoke in the neutral position in pitch and roll, and compensate for increased feedback forces to the pilot as airspeed increases. The control principles are similar to most other light general aviation aircraft." This characterization of the flight control spring forces is incorrect for two significant reasons. First, the Cirrus spring-trim system is distinctly dissimilar to any other GA aircraft. Second, the springs do not "compensate" for "feedback forces.” Although the Cirrus is a wonderful aircraft, it's important for pilots to understand its differences.

    The Cirrus springs are a unique method of maintaining aileron and elevator control surfaces in the position necessary to achieve proper aircraft pitch and roll attitudes. In other designs this is achieved with moveable trim tabs on the control surfaces, or by moveable stabilitors. Rather than alleviating aerodynamic forces felt by the pilot, on the Cirrus the springs simply overpower those aerodynamic forces and fix the flight control surfaces in the position dictated by the center-position springs. The spring center-position for both pitch and roll is set by the pilot using the Cirrus all-electric trim switch, adjusted as necessary to effect aircraft pitch and roll attitudes required to maintain the desired flight path. The spring forces can be overcome by the pilot if necessary, but it tires the wrist so is not done for extended periods. The center-position of the springs determines the deflection of the control surfaces - there are no trim tabs to set those positions aerodynamically as on other GA designs.

    There is no aerodynamic feedback at all from the flight control surfaces in a Cirrus. The only control forces felt by the pilot are from the springs, if/as the pilot attempts to move the position of the ailerons or elevators away from the center-position of the springs. The further from the center-position the pilot moves the side-stick without using the trim switch to reposition the center-position, the more force is felt from the springs as they compress in response to side-stick inputs. These felt forces imitate aerodynamic forces felt on other aircraft, so are often mistaken for the same. They are nothing of the sort. The mechanical centering forces of the springs does not vary with airspeed, as do aerodynamic forces on other designs.

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