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.

FMI: www.seawind.biz