A Waterloo man died in a plane crash here on Saturday.
Wellington County OPP and the Guelph, Guelph-Eramosa and Puslinch fire departments were called to the scene off Watson Road south of Stone Road, at around 3:45pm on Sept. 24.
At the scene, OPP Cst. Kevin Martin confirmed the lone occupant of the plane was killed.
“Working along with the office of the coroner we know that the occupant of the ultralight craft is deceased,” he said. “We are continuing to investigate with the assistance of OPP Forensic Identification Unit.”
On Sept. 25 police announced 63-year-old Alfred Brunger of Waterloo was the pilot killed in the crash.
Martin did not comment on the incident itself or how the plane ended up in the bush about one kilometre from the road and 2km south of the Guelph Air Park Airport.
Ewan Tasker, a regional investigator with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said the crash was “non-survivable.”
Tasker explained the TSB was deployed to the scene over the weekend and would continue to look into the cause of the crash.
He said the plane went into a “very steep” descent, hitting trees as it came to rest on the forest floor.
Tasker added Brunger was heading from Pembrooke to Waterloo when the pilot experienced communication trouble.
He was diverting to Guelph Air Park Airport at the time of the crash.
Brunger was a research professor at the University of Waterloo from 1986 to 1997 with the Solar Thermal Research Laboratory. The university website notes he started the Midnight Sun Solar Car Team.
Puslinch Fire Chief Steve Goode said 16 firefighters who responded to the crash were aided by gators from the Guelph-Eramosa fire department. Firefighters were able to get to the scene using the Smith Wide Trail.
Goode added he was not concerned about any leakage of fuels or chemicals from the plane.
Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
