Pilot and student identified after fatal plane crash in Vancouver, Canada

Pilot and student identified after fatal plane crash in Vancouver, Canada

2011-07-08 07:17:59 GMT+7 (ICT)

VANCOUVER, CANADA (BNO NEWS) -- The pilot and student killed in a small plane accident in Vancouver, Canada on Tuesday were identified on Thursday, officials said.

The accident occurred on Tuesday when a single-engine Cessna 152 crashed in a remote area in the north end of Harrison Lake in Vancouver, and on Thursday, authorities identified the fatal victims as pilot Brett Loftus, 25, from Langley, and student Joel Nortman, 25, from Vancouver, CBC News reported.

The plane crashed in an area full of large boulders and thick brush. Search and rescue teams were unable to reach the victims until Wednesday afternoon by helicopter. The bodis were then airlifted to the Chilliwack airport for a preliminary examination and then to the Royal Columbian Hospital.

The reason of the accident remains uncertain, but the Transportation Safety Board and the British Columbia Coroners Service have already launched an investigation into the incident.

The aircraft was operated by Pacific Flying Club in Boundary Bay, which is located in southern Vancouver.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-08