Pilot dead after plane crashes into field outside Sussex
RIP Dug Francis
1952-2019
It is with great sadness that the family of Douglas "Dug"
Allison Francis announces his passing which occurred on July 3, 2019
in Sussex, NB. Born in Saint John, NB, on May 2, 1952, he was the son
of the late Frederick Francis and Frances (Eveleigh)
Francis.
Dug is survived by his loving children: Martha Francis and her partner
Craig Baillie of Saint John, NB, Matthew Francis and his wife Lori of
Kingston, NB, and Josh Francis of Saint John, NB; cherished
grandchildren: Meylee, Mary-Jane, Raymond, Seth and Molly; brothers:
Dwight Francis and his wife Debbie of Hampton NB, and David Francis of
Hampton, NB; sister-in-law Dolores Francis of Saint John, NB; several
nieces and nephews; and many close friends that he loved as
family.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Sherwood’s Funeral Home
and Life Tribute Centre (506-839-2156), 18 Scovil Road, Norton, NB
where visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5 to 8pm and Wednesday
from 12 to 2pm. A celebration of Dug’s life will be held on
Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at 2:00pm from Sherwood’s Funeral
Chapel. Private family Interment will take place at Riverbank
Cemetery.
The family would like to invite you back to Dug's plane
hanger at his home, 410 Route 845, Kingston to continue celebrating
his life and exchanging memories. Camo attire is
encouraged.
Memorial donations in memory of Dug may be made to the
The Constable Robb Costello Memorial Fund or to
the memorial of the donor’s choice. Personal condolences to
the family and donations may be made through
SherwoodsFuneralHome.com
The
Transportation Safety Board said the pilot had never flown alone in the
plane other than to make taxiing runs at an airport in Sussex. (Transportation Safety Board/Submitted)
A
67-year-old man killed in the crash of a small plane at the Sussex
airport last month was flying the plane alone for the first time and
without a lot of experience as a pilot, according to the Transportation
Safety Board.
The board has finished its investigation into the July 3 crash of the Zenair STOL CH750, but its report released Friday did not identify a cause.
Pilot
Douglas Francis of Kingston bought the amateur-built aircraft in
September 2017, a month after he began taking flight training on a
Cessna 172, said the report by investigator Daphne Boothe.
He
had a student pilot permit, and most of the 22.8 hours of flying time
he'd accumulated came during three months of training in 2017,
Didn't share plans
Since then, he hadn't flown the Zenair much, other than making taxiing runs.
On
the day of the crash, he did not tell anyone of his plans, so it's not
known where he was going or what time the plane left the airport, said
the report.
Someone driving near the crash spotted the crashed plane and notified the owner of the airport.
The
plane, with the pilot inside, was found about 400 feet (almost 122
metres) from the centre of the runway in a near-vertical position.
The
investigation determined the plane was producing power when it crashed
and there was fuel in the wing tanks, fuel pump and fuel lines.
Pilot killed in plane crash near Sussex identified
Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigating crash
CBC News ·
Douglas (Dug) Allison Francis, 67, died when the plane he was piloting crashed near Sussex last week. (Sherwood’s Funeral Home)
The pilot killed in a plane crash last week near Sussex has been identified as Douglas (Dug) Francis of Kingston.
The 67-year-old died last week after his small personal plane crashed after take off at a private airstrip in Wards Creek.
An
obituary for Francis, born in Saint John, was posted on Sherwood's
Funeral Home website. The plane was registered in Francis's name since
2017, Transport Canada records indicate.
Visiting
at the funeral home has been scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in
Norton followed by a celebration of Francis's life Wednesday evening.
The
crash was reported shortly after 6:30 p.m. on July 3 after the plane
took off from an airstrip on Marshall Hill Road south of Sussex. It
crashed into a cornfield a short distance away.
Police said the
pilot was the lone occupant of the single-engine dual-seat private
aircraft and died of his injuries at the scene.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the crash of the kit-built Zenith STOL CH 750.
Investigators are examining the pilot's licence, the maintenance history of the plane and the weather at the time of the crash.
A Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigator photographs the left wing tip of the fallen aircraft. (Transportation Safety Board of Canada)
A 67-year-old pilot is dead after the plane he was flying out of an airfield outside Sussex crashed in a nearby cornfield.
The crash happened shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The owner of the airstrip noticed the crashed plane in the field.
Sussex RCMP Sgt. Jim MacPherson said the New Brunswick man was flying a single-engine dual-seat private aircraft.
The plane crashed a short distance from the private airstrip at 121 Marshall Hill Rd. in Wards Creek, south of Sussex.
Two
investigators with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada travelled
from Dartmouth, N.S., to investigate. MacPherson said the RCMP will be
working alongside the board.
RCMP in Sussex responded to a plane crash that happened in a field outside Sussex on Wednesday evening. (Sarah Kester/CBC)
"The pilot was the only person on board and was deceased at the scene," MacPherson said.
The pilot, whose identity has not been released, died from his injuries, he said.
Safety board investigator Bruce Mullen called the plane a Zenair 710, but the RCMP have confirmed it was a Zenith STOL CH 750.
No
one was at the airfield when the kit-built short takeoff and landing
plane took off, so it's not known where it was going or what the purpose
of the flight was. Mullen said engineers will try to determine the
plane's path using evidence gathered at the scene.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the crash. (Sarah Kester/CBC)
Investigators
will now look at the state of the pilot's licence, the maintenance
history of the plane and the weather at the time of the crash, he said.
The plane
about 50 metres from the end of the airstrip, and the runway will
likely be closed for the duration of the investigation, police said.
Corrections
The plane described by a safety board investigator as a Zenair 710 was in fact a Zenith STOL CH 750.
The
crash happened shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The plane took off
from the airstrip at 121 Marshall Hill Rd. in Wards Creek, south of
Sussex, and ended up a short distance away.
Two investigators
with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada travelled from Dartmouth,
N.S., to investigate the crash. RCMP are working alongside the board.
Frank Savignac is a local ultralight and paragliding instructor based in Salisbury. (Frank Savignac/Submitted)
Savignac
said the 750 can fly as fast as 160 kilometres an hour but is more
likely to be seen flying at 60 to 65 kilometres an hour. He said it all
depends on what engine it has, and how much weight is in the airplane
itself.
He said he was surprised to hear this plane was involved
in a fatal crash. In some ultralight planes, the pilot must maintain a
95 kilometres an hour speed to avoid aerodynamic stall - when the nose
begins to pitch downwards.
"So if your engine goes out or something happens you have to maintain that speed or the aircraft doesn't fly," he said.
However in STOL planes, some engines won't stall even at 64 kilometres an hour.
"So I was quite surprised to hear that," he said. "I would be very interested to find out what happened that's for sure."
Safety inspection
Transport
Canada spokesperson Alexandre Desjardins said every person who builds
an aircraft must register it before it can be deemed "airworthy."
To
pass registration, an amateur-built aircraft must be inspected "for
workmanship and general serviceability" while it's being built as well
as after final assembly, Desjardins said.
If the plane isn't found to be airworthy, it must have a a sign in plain view that says it doesn't have the proper certificate.
The planes also need to be inspected every year.
Corrections
A
previous version of the story referred to ultralight plane engine
stalling. Frank Savignac was in fact referring to aerodynamic stall.
Jim MacDonald Someone
got their story wrong. An aircraft stall is when the airspeed is too
low and the wings no longer provide lift. An aircraft stall and an
engine failure are two different things.
Jim MacDonald
Reply to @jim
macdonald: I should have added that regardless of the incorrect use of
aviation terminology this is a sad story about a man's death whatever
the cause of the accident.
David R. Amos
Reply to @jim
macdonald: True I noticed the boo boo too but said nothing. However why
focus on the aircraft? A 67 year old can die riding a bus. Two friends
of mine died of heart attacks while riding their motorcycles with
friends. in my humble opinion we all should be so lucky to leave this
world while doing something we love to do perhaps it i the same with
man but no doubt an autopsy would tell the tale. What is important
about this tragedy is that no one else was hurt.
No comments:
Post a Comment