Collision with hay bales caused fatal Alberta plane crash, says TSB

A plane crash that killed a man near Black Diamond, Alta., in July was the result of the small aircraft clipping some stacked hay bales while taking off.

According to the Transportation Safety Board, the Piper Warrior 2 plane flew from the ClaresholmIndustrial Airport around 1 p.m. on July 29and landed in a field east of Black Diamond around 1:30 p.m.

The two occupants of the plane worked the field through the day and took off from the field around 7:15 p.m.

"The aircraft failed to climb sufficiently to clear some hay bales that had been stacked in the southeast corner of the field, and struck them," reads the report.

"The left-wing fuel tank ruptured on impact, and the resulting post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft."

Both the pilot and the passenger sustained head injuries, but one of them was able to escape the plane. The other was killed.

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