What happened
On the evening of the occurrence, a privately registered Piper PA-28-180 was performing a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Canton Aerodrome, Ontario, toward Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and one passenger.
As the aircraft began its takeoff roll on runway 14 at approximately 20:15, it achieved liftoff but quickly encountered an obstacle. The left wing of the aircraft struck a tree shortly after leaving the ground. This impact caused the aircraft to veer left, leading to subsequent collisions with additional trees. The flight ended when the aircraft crashed into a nearby soybean field.
The investigation
Following the accident, the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated upon impact, transmitting a signal that was intercepted by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario. Emergency responders arrived at the crash site, where they discovered that both occupants had sustained fatal injuries.