Light rain, good visibility when plane crashed, killing former Alberta premier Jim Prentice

Environment Canada hourly observations from the Kelowna airport show there was light rain but good visibility in the hours leading up to the plane crash that killed four people, including former Alberta premier Jim Prentice.

Wind speed on the ground was minimal, under 13 kilometres per hour, said meteorologist Michel Gelinas. Environment Canada did not record anything unusual with regards to wind shear, and there did not appear to be significant icing below 8,000 feet, near the height the plane is thought to have reached before dropping off the radar.

Visibility was considered good, he added.

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READ MORE: Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice killed in BC plane crash

Navigation Canada data shows broken to overcast cloud cover at different altitudes between 600 and 2,700 feet. That is still considered good visibility from flying standards, according to one pilot Global News spoke with.

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READ MORE: Calgary optometrist, father-in-law of Jim Prentice’s daughter also killed in BC plane crash 

Environment Canada said there was no lightning reported in the area at the time of the plane crash.

Environment Canada was clear it’s up to the Transportation Safety Board to determine whether or not weather was a contributing factor to the crash.