A Canadian who was test piloting a plane in Panama was killed in a crash on Wednesday afternoon.
An experimental aircraft piloted by Ron Simard crashed at the Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport in Panama City at 1:24 p.m. local time, Aeronáutica Panamá announced on its Twitter account.
Aeronáutica Panamá said the crash took place during takeoff and the organization says that investigators are still looking into the cause of the crash.
A Panamanian reporter posted a video of the incident on his Twitter account.
Simard was said to be the lone occupant of the airplane, Aeronáutica Panamá said.
Capt. Robert Katz of Panama’s Civil Aviation authority says the man had sold the plane and planned to fly it to the U.S. for delivery.
Katz says he watched the takeoff and “obviously it was very shocking.”
Local media outlets are reporting that Simard was a retired Canadian.
A Facebook profile matching that name says the user lives in Chame in southwestern Panama and is from Meadow Lake, Sask.
Global Affairs Canada confirmed to Global News that a Canadian had died in Panama.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the Canadian citizen that passed away in Panama,” Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Brendan Sutton said through email. Consular officials stand ready to provide consular assistance to family as required. To protect the privacy of the family concerned, further details on this case cannot be released.
With files from The Associated Press