Pilot Dies In Crash Of Stolen Plane

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Key Takeaways:

  • A Piper Tomahawk crashed early Friday morning in Peterborough, Ontario, killing the pilot, who was the sole occupant.
  • The aircraft was apparently stolen, flown without the owner's knowledge, and the pilot's formal flight training status is unclear.
  • This incident is the second in Canada within a week involving an apparently stolen aircraft crashing.
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For the second time in a week, Canadian authorities are investigating a crash involving an apparently stolen aircraft, this time with tragic consequences. The Piper Tomahawk crashed on a main street in Peterborough, Ontario, about 1:30 a.m. local time Friday. The pilot and lone occupant was killed in the crash. The plane hit an illuminated sign and street lights before hitting Lansdowne Street. The aircraft belonged to a man in Markham, Ontario, about 60 miles from Peterborough and was being flown without his knowledge, according to authorities.

The pilot was reportedly in his 20s and it’s not clear whether he had any formal flight training. Last week, a Newfoundland man allegedly took a relative’s Cessna 180 on floats for a joyride and crashed it on shore but he wasn’t seriously injured. In Peterborough, witnesses said it appeared the pilot was trying to land on the street, which didn’t have much traffic at that hour. The aircraft had fuel but it’s not yet known if there were technical issues. The pilot’s identity hasn’t been released.

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