Thu, Aug 16, 2007
Pilot Reported Lost In Crash Of Certification Plane
ANN REALTIME REPORTING 08.16.07 1645 EDT:
Aero-News has confirmed a Seawind 300C amphibian, one of the test
aircraft participating in the company's certification program, went
down Wednesday afternoon in a heavily wooded area near the town of
Stead, Manitoba. The one pilot onboard the aircraft is reported
lost.
Richard Silva, founder and president of Seawind LLC, confirmed
to ANN a test aircraft (file photo of type shown above) crashed
Wednesday afternoon.
"We're awaiting more information," Silva told ANN. "It's a
tragic event."
Royal Canadian Mounted Police told CJOB-68 a
witness saw the aircraft impact a heavily wooded area.
Witness Darlene Steffan told the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
she had just finished loading her truck at a nearby gravel pit when
she heard an aircraft overhead, its engine sputtering.
"Then it just quit. The motor quit. The engine quit, and then it
kind of glided a little bit. Then it just turned straight down, the
nose, and then started spiralling. I lost sight of it behind the
trees (and) about two seconds later I heard a sickening thuck," she
said.
Last month at AirVenture 2007, Silva told ANN the 300C only
needed to complete spin testing to receive its oft-delayed VFR
Type Certificate from Transport Canada and the FAA. What impact
today's accident will have on those plans remains unknown.
ANN will have more information it becomes available.
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