Jean Lapierre among 7 killed in Magdalen Islands plane crash

JeanLapierre, political commentator and former Liberal federal cabinet minister,was killed in a plane crash Tuesday, along with his wife, sister and two brothers,when the plane went down in fog and freezing rain on theMagdalen Islandsin the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Jean Lapierre among 7 killed in plane crash

9 years ago

Duration 3:15

Former Liberal federal cabinet minister was killed in a plane crash Tuesday, along with his wife, sister and 2 brothers, heading to father's funeral

• JeanLapierre, Quebec's political conscience, dead at 59
• TIMELINE :Jean Lapierre's life and career

The seven people on board died in the crash, including two crew members.

Late Tuesday evening, the Quebec coroner's office released the victims' names:

• Jean Lapierre.
• Nicole Beaulieu,Lapierre's wife.
• Martine Lapierre.
• Marc Lapierre.
• Louis Lapierre.
• Pascal Gosselin, crew member.
• Fabrice Labourel, crew member.

The family was travelling to the funeral of Lapierre's father, who died last Friday at the age of 83.

The planecrashed as it approached an airfieldnearHavre-aux-Maisonsaround11:40 a.m. AT.It went down a few kilometres from the airport.

Quebecprovincial police said the plane was privately owned, andTransport Canada's Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting Systemsaidthe plane was an American-registered 1982 MitsubishiMU-2B-60with thetailnumberN246W.

The plane took off from St. Hubert Airport, located on Montreal's South Shore, at 9:30 a.m. ET.

'Broken in 3,' witness says

JulesDeslauriers, whomoved to theMagdalen Islandslast October, said the crash happened a few hundred metres in front of his house.

"I could see the nose, I could see part of the fuselage and I could see part of the tail as if the plane was broken in three," he said.

Another witness, DianeVigneault, saw the plane go down in front of her home. She said the impact of the crash was so powerful, she immediately worried about the safety of those on board.

"I heard the sound of a plane flying low, low, low. I said to myself, 'That plane is so low.' I cried, I didn't know what else to do. I saw people running. My goal was to call 911,"Vigneaultsaid.

Earlier Tuesday morning, some commercial flights had been cancelled because of heavy fog.

Best in class safety, aircraft maker says

In a statement sent to CBC,ScottSobel, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, said the company is sending investigators to the site to try to learn moreabout the crash and to co-operate with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

"There are initial reports of bad weather during the time of the accident, but we know nothing else at this time,"Sobelsaid. "The aircraft has a best in its class safety record during the last eight years. According to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations, MU-2 pilots have to be current and uptodate in their training in order to fly the aircraft."

Investigators deployed

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will lead the investigation into the crash.

Transport Canada said "a ministerial observer has been appointed and will collaborate with the TSB."

Federal Transport Minister MarcGarneausaid authorities will try to determine the cause of the accident as soon as possible.

"The Transportation Safety Board will be going to the Magdalen Islands as soon as weather permits and will begin its inquest into the cause of the accident. It's much too early to speculate at this point as to the cause of it, but they will do their work,"Garneausaid, adding that he admiredLapierreand remembers the commentator as a "tough interviewer."

"[He was] someone who was tremendously respected, somebody who was talked about, because when he gave his views on politics on the radio and television in Quebec and across the country,he always seemed to find the heart of the matter in terms of explaining it to people."

Tributes pour in

Moments afterLapierre'sdeath was confirmed, tributes began to pour in from those who knew him or worked with him.

"There are moments when you simply ask why," said Montreal Mayor DenisCoderre, who describedLapierreas an ex-colleague but also a friend.

At a news conference,Coderrewas visibly choked up."It's tough because I wrote him yesterday.He was a man of dignity and he was proud of his roots. He always made a differencein people's lives,"Coderresaid, adding thatLapierrewasalways happy and cheerful.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the news of Lapierre'sdeath left him "shaken."

Quebec Premier Philippe Couillardtweeted a messageto Lapierre's Twitter account.

"You were loved and admired. Thank you for all you gave us," Couillard wrote in French, adding thathe will make an official statement tomorrow about the "tragic event."

Former prime minister Paul Martin was choked up when speaking to reporters.

Martin said he knew Lapierreever since he becamethe youngest member of Parliament at the age of 23.

"It'simpossible to believe.I saw him two weeks ago.He was a good, good friend. Someone with immense integrity and vision," Martin said. "He loved Canadians. Heloved Quebecers.As a minister, as a journalist, Ithink that every one of us learned from him. And now he's gone."

Paul Martin remembers Jean Lapierre

9 years ago

Duration 6:51

The former prime minister talks candidly about his friendship with the Quebec politician and commentator

Former Bloc Qubecois leader Gilles Duceppe told CBC's As It Happens that his thoughts are with Lapierre's mother, who first lost her husband, and now four of her children.

"She lost almost all the family ... and the husband, in a few days.It's horrible, just horrible," Duceppe said.

Former Quebec premier LucienBouchardsaid he had lost a friend.

In 1990,Lapierrestunnedhis Liberal colleagues when he joinedBouchard, along withdozens of other disaffected Progressive Conservative and Liberal MPs,to form the BlocQubcois.

"There was nobody more informed than him.He would walk around an entire shopping centre to listen what people were saying,"Bouchardtold Radio-Canada in an interviewTuesday.

"He was very listened to, andvery present. All the politicians also listened to him to know what was going on."

Bernard St-Laurent,CBC'sretired chiefpolitical correspondent for Quebec, saidLapierrehad a knack for covering the political scene, especially as a commentator.

"He spoke to everybody and everyone spoke to him, and that's a rare, rare thing in politics," St-Laurent told CBC Montreal'sHomerunradio show.