Here’s what happened before a Cessna 150 crashed in Alexandria, Ont. last summer

Ontario Provincial Police say the pilot of a plane died in a crash on Power Dam Road, east of Alexandria, on Wednesday. (Aaron Reid/CTV News Ottawa)

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released the result of its investigation into what led to the fatal small plane crash in Alexandria, Ont. east of Ottawa last summer.

The crash happened just after 1 p.m. July 26, 2023 on Power Dam Road, where the Alexandria Aerodrome is located.

According to the TSB’s report, the Cessna 150 plane was occupied by two pilots -- an instructor and a pilot-in-training. Both had the appropriate licences to operate the plane. The instructor pilot was sitting in the right seat, while the pilot-in-training was seated in the left seat. The instructor was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the pilot-in-training was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The report notes that shortly after takeoff, when the plane was 200 feet above the ground, the engine experienced partial power loss. The report says that not only was the plane overweight, but it also had low fuel levels when the pilot tried to make a sharp, 180-degree turn back to the runway.

What happened?

The two pilots met in the morning at 10:14 a.m. at the Lachute, Que. Aerodome (CSE4) to practice some flying. After they performed pre-flight checks, they pushed the plane to the fuelling station, but they encountered a delay, as a fuel truck was replenishing the local fuel tank. That was when they decided to take off at 10:30 a.m. – without adding fuel -- to the Hawkesbury, Ont. Aerodrome (CNV4), where they practiced takeoffs and landings, reads the report.

At around 11:30 a.m., they safely landed and shut down the plane for one hour before taking off to Alexandria, Ont. Aerodrome (CNS4). They arrived to CNS4 at 12:55 p.m., where they completed two circuits before landing on runway 25, reads the report.

“It (the plane) was then repositioned for takeoff on the threshold of Runway 25. At 13:10:57, shortly after taking off and when the aircraft was below 200 feet above ground level (AGL), the engine experienced a momentary partial power loss. The instructor pilot, who was seated in the right seat, took control of the aircraft and performed a low-level 180° left turn to conduct an approach to Runway 07. During the turn, the aircraft experienced 2 additional partial power losses. The aircraft banked steeply before re-aligning over and approximately half-way down the runway. With less than 1,000 feet of runway remaining, the instructor pilot reapplied power before the aircraft touched down and initiated a go-around,” read the report.

During the climb, “when the aircraft was just below 100 feet above ground level, and as the airspeed fluctuated between 50 and 60 mph indicated airspeed, the flaps were retracted from the 10° position to the UP position.“

“(When) the engine rpm decreased from 2,450 to 1,300 rpm. The instructor pilot began a steep right turn during which the airspeed decreased further and the bank angle increased to about 45°,” read the report.

“The aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall, continued to roll to the right, descended in a steep nose-down attitude, and collided with terrain.”

The aircraft was properly equipped with the systems that are mentioned in its manual, says the report.

What could have been done?

During engine failures take off, the TSB emphasizes the importance of correct manoeuvring while returning to the runway, pre-flight checks, planning for an emergency, and performing the proper maintenance measures before it’s too late.

“An FAA safety article recommends that 180° turns be avoided and instead offers that pilots should select the best available landing area within an arc of about 60° left and right of aircraft heading and resist the temptation to turn back to the airfield,” read the report.

“The ATSB published a safety report that examined a partial power loss after takeoff. The report provides 3 options or decisions to make when faced with a partial power loss after takeoff: forced or precautionary landing within the aerodrome, beyond the aerodrome or turning back towards the aerodrome.”

The report does not select one option over the other.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond