Montreal plane towing ‘will you marry me?’ banner crashes, leaves one dead, one injured

By Alessia Simona Maratta Global News

Posted October 2, 2021 7:28 pm

Updated October 4, 2021 1:52 pm

2 min read

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Click to play video: 'Montreal plane towing ‘will you marry me?’ banner crashes, leaves one dead, one injured'

1:58 Montreal plane towing ‘will you marry me?’ banner crashes, leaves one dead, one injured

WATCH: Montreal plane towing ‘will you marry me?’ banner crashes, leaves one dead, one injured – Oct 3, 2021

One person is dead and another is hospitalized after a small plane carrying a marriage proposal banner crashed Saturday evening on an island near Old Montreal.

Authorities say emergency crews were called for a crashed plane on Île Sainte-Hélène, southeast of the Island of Montreal, at about 6 p.m.

The crash killed the passenger and the pilot remains in hospital as of Sunday evening, according to officials.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) dispatched two investigators to the scene Saturday night to investigate the circumstances of the incident.

TSB spokesperson Chris Krepski said the small plane, a Cessna 172, was towing a “will you marry me?” banner when it crashed. Authorities have not located the banner, which they believe was released into the St-Lawrence river shortly before the crash.

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Krepski said the TSB is waiting to speak to the pilot as soon as the victim’s condition allows.

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The plane went down at Dieppe Park near the Concorde Bridge not far from where Osheaga Music Festival was taking place. Authorities say the incident caused very little damage.

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According to Krepski, officials received reports of engine trouble on the Cessna 172 aircraft, but investigators have yet to determine the cause of the crash.

“[The plane] is a really popular model. It flies all over the planet, and it’s usually a plane that is used in flight schools,” airline pilot Dominic Daoust told Global News.

“It’s the plane I used when I started my career. It’s a light aircraft for three passengers.”

While the TSB could not speculate on the cause of the crash, Daoust said he suspects the cause was “some kind of mechanical issue at low altitude, and [the pilot] just ran out of options.”

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Authorities believe the two victims were the only occupants of the plane.

The scene of the crash is a popular destination in Montreal, home to an amusement park, a casino and other tourist attractions.

–With files from the Canadian Press