Investigation into fatal glider crash concludes
Posted Feb 10, 2020 10:58 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BLACK DIAMOND (660 NEWS) – The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has finished its investigation into a fatal mid-air collision south of Calgary last summer.
On July 26, 2019, a Cessna was towing a two-seat glider belonging to the CU NIM Gliding Club in Black Diamond.
Investigators said the collision happened after the glider was released from the tow plane.
The TSB reports the glider entered a dive from which it didn’t recover and eventually hit the Cessna before crashing to the ground.
The two people inside the glider, an instructor and student died in the crash.
Despite damage to its propeller and right wing, the pilot of the Cessna managed to land the plane and wasn’t hurt.
WATCH: Two people dead after glider collision near Black Diamond
The TSB acknowledged there was no procedure to follow if visual contact was lost after the tow was released, and neither pilot saw the other aircraft in time to avoid a collision.
The board is urging better communication or airborne collision avoidance systems.
