A pilot died Wednesday morning when a small plane crashed in a wooded area in Saint-Georges, Quebec, during a Remembrance Day ceremony.
The aircraft went down around 11 a.m. near the Saint-Georges airport in the Beauce region, roughly 100 kilometres south of Quebec City. The Sûreté du Québec identified the pilot as a man in his 60s from the local area who was the lone occupant of the plane.
Saint-Georges Mayor Manon Bougie said the crash took place while a flight of six private aircraft performed an aerial salute for the commemorative event.
“A formation of six aircraft was performing the Missing Man formation as part of the ceremony when one of the pilots crashed,” Bougie stated via email.
“It was a deeply sad and tragic moment, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible accident,” Bougie said.
The municipality said that the aircraft was approaching the local airport to land when the accident occurred, subsequent to which the plane caught fire.
“It was participating in an event with other planes when he went down, unfortunately,” said Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Sergeant Audrey-Anne Bilodeau.
Saint-Georges resident Michel Rodrigue reported hearing a metallic noise resembling sheet metal, initially thinking a cat had knocked over a flower cabinet before spotting flames behind his home.
A witness told Noovo Info that the plane appeared to break away from the other aircraft in the group, and a woman watching from an office window noted the plane flying lower than the others before it vanished behind trees, with black smoke subsequently rising into the sky and another witness observing a nosedive.
The Department of National Defence confirmed that the aircraft was not part of the Royal Canadian Air Force and that the pilot held no membership in the Canadian Armed Forces.
“What has just happened is truly sad and terrible,” Mayor Bougie said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones affected by this tragedy. All our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.”
Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon addressed the public on social media regarding the emergency response, noting he was in contact with Domestic Security Minister Guy Lapointe Jr.
“I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones,” Plamondon said in a post on X.
I am deeply saddened by the tragic plane crash during today's Remembrance Day commemorations in Saint-Georges, Beauce. My heartfelt condolences go to the family and loved ones of the pilot who lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, and I thank the…
Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard also issued a statement on the platform.
“My deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the pilot who tragically lost his life in the crash of this aircraft in Saint-Georges-de-Beauce while taking part in Remembrance Day celebrations,” Milliard wrote. “My thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre shared his sympathies and thanked first responders, while federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon stated he was saddened to learn of the pilot’s passing.
Provincial police deployed their major crime unit to the site to examine all operational factors.
I was saddened to learn of the pilot’s passing following an aircraft crash in Saint-Georges, Quebec, during Remembrance Day commemorations. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones and everyone affected by this tragedy.
“It’s a major crime unit that is investigating the case, trying to make sure that there was no criminal aspect involved,” Bilodeau told reporters.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada dispatched a team of investigators to the wooded crash site near 10th Street to gather evidence and evaluate the wreckage. Additionally, Jean-François Bertrand of the Quebec coroner’s office mandated an inquiry to establish the exact parameters of the death, according to coroner’s office spokesperson Jake Lamotta Granato.
#TSBAir deploys a team of investigators following a small aircraft accident in Saint-George de Beauce, #Quebec. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence. #media
