A coroner’s report of a fatal plane crash in Vernon this summer says the hot weather may have been a factor in the tragic accident.
On July 7, a Piper twin engine plane took off from the Vernon airport. On board were pilot James Langley, 59, of Kelowna and passenger Karim Makalai, 55, of Port Moody. Langley had 50 hours of experience with that type of aircraft.
The aircraft was considered low-performance, and with a full fuel load, it was near its maximum gross take-off weight.
Shortly after what witnesses describe as a long take-off, the plane nose-dived then crashed into a nearby sports field. The aircraft bounced then skidded to a stop on its belly before it exploded into flames.
It’s fortunate the field was not busy at the time otherwise the number of victims could have been much higher.
“Engine failure did not appear to be a factor in the incident,” the coroner’s report stated.
The report goes on to state that the temperature that day was 33C and the sky was clear.
The “climb performance of the aircraft would have been further reduced by the hot temperature,” coroner Allen Russel Hossie wrote.
The coroner reports that the pilot made a maneuver that would not have been done for operational reasons and the plane could not perform the maneuver.
A post-mortem examination of the victims revealed that the pair survived the crash but died from carbon monoxide poisoning and fire-related injuries.
Langley and Makalai’s deaths were classified as accidental and the coroner did not make any recommendations.
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