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Multiple people dead after small plane crashes in Kingston, Ont., police say

Nov 28, 2019 | 1:37 PM

KINGSTON, Ont. — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is examining weather as a possible factor in a crash that claimed the lives of multiple people, a spokesman said Thursday as a team of four investigators began a probe that could take days to complete.

The plane was heading from the Toronto area to the airport in Kingston, Ont., when it crashed at 5 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area about seven kilometres from its destination, Chris Krepski told reporters near the scene of the crash. Neither he nor other officials would confirm how many were killed.

“I don’t have any information about (the weather) but that is something we’re going to take a close look at,” Krepski said. “We’ll work all day during daylight. If we need to come back tomorrow, we will. When the wreckage will be removed is still to be determined.”

Const. Ash Gutheinz of the Kingston police said the area was under a wind advisory at the time, and while the conditions may not have been as bad as predicted, it was certainly “blustery.”

A spokesman for Canadian Forces Base Trenton, meanwhile, said a military helicopter dealt with high winds while it searched for the crash site.

Maj. Trevor Reid said the helicopter crew found the wreckage thanks to an emergency beacon on board the plane.

Residents in the area also noted there was heavy rain and strong winds around the time of the crash.

“I was amazed that anybody was even flying last night because there was lots of notice that this windstorm was coming,” said Rob Gibson, who lives near the site of the crash.

Gibson said in an interview he could hear a helicopter searching for the downed aircraft Wednesday night, but didn’t hear any sounds from the crash itself.

The TSB said the plane involved was a Piper PA-32 that was registered in the U.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2019.

The Canadian Press