Transportation Safety Board investigators have not yet determined the cause of a crash in B-C last week which took the life of a former La Ronge resident.
The twin-engine Cessna took off from Nelson on June 12th headed to La Ronge, but later crashed after the pilot turned back.
TSB Western spokesperson Bill Yearwood says it appears the 53-year-old pilot was in control of the aircraft when it hit a mountain.
“The scars in the trees and the direction of the aircraft is consistent with having turned around. He was close to the top of a ridge in a pass at about 6,500 feet. He needed to be a few hundred feet higher than that to get through the pass”.
Yearwood explains a fire destroyed the wreckage, making the investigation difficult.
“The coroner’s service has not completed an autopsy. At this point we don’t know if there will be sufficient remains for the coroner to determine the health of the pilot”.
Yearwood goes on to say that the weather in the area of the crash is known to change quickly, and this is something TSB investigators had to deal with when they arrived at the site.