WATCH: Global’s Skyview 1 helicopter records ultralight wreckage
WINNIPEG – A southern Manitoba church community is mourning the sudden loss of its pastor, killed in the crash of an ultralight aircraft Thursday.
Dave Neufeld, the Senior Pastor of Grunthal Abundant Life Fellowship Church, died in the crash in a farm field east of St. Pierre-Jolys at about 10:30 a.m.
The 59 year old was the only one on board the machine. A cause of the accident wasn’t immediately known, though RCMP say no foul play is suspected.
Dave came from Alberta and moved to Grunthal to pastor the Abundant Life Fellowship church.
“He was my best friend and he’s been my pastor for over 20 years,” friend Ed Schroeder told Global News. “He was a great man he was an incredible man to know him was to love him.”
WATCH: Friend of pastor killed in ultralight crash speaks to media outside service Thursday night
“We miss him it’s a big hard block on our hearts,” said Agatha Unrau. “He talked about it so much in church how he loved to (fly) and how much fun he … had.”
Dave’s son Rick is in South Africa as a missionary and trying to get home.
Dave and his wife were foster parents to several kids.
Federal accident investigators from the Transportation Safety Board were already at the scene Thursday.
“We’re examining the engine the propeller, the seat belts the wing systems on board the aircraft to look for any irregularities, said TSB investigator Dave Ross. “We will take a look at the pilot qualifications, training background, experience, that sort of thing.”
St. Pierre-Jolys is about 50 km south of Winnipeg.
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