Two dead in small plane crash near Fergus
Plane crashed into field and caught fire on Oct. 9
CENTRE WELLINGTON – Two people are dead after a small plane crashed into a farmer’s field northwest of Fergus last Friday.
Emergency crews responded to the scene, near the intersection of Beatty Line and Wellington Road 17, on Oct. 9 at about 10:15am.
“A small general aviation aircraft collided into the field and caught fire,” stated a press release that day from the Wellington County OPP.
On Oct. 10 police announced the plane was “occupied by two people at the time of the crash. Both individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene. There are no other reported injuries.”
Family members and friends have identified the two occupants of the aircraft as Steve Zago and Joe Stubbs.
According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the incident involved an “amateur built Skybolt biplane.”
The aircraft departed the Fergus Juergensen Field at approximately 10am and was on a local aerobatic training flight with two pilots on board, TSB told the Advertiser in an email on Oct. 13.
The aircraft crashed and came to a stop upside down.
Over the coming weeks, TBS investigators will continue to gather information and analyze the information gathered, the board added.
Steve Zago
Steve Zago was a member of the Waterloo Warbirds.
According to a Warbirds Facebook post on Oct. 10, Zago joined the history museum team in 2017.
“His passion in aviation shone through in everything he did and his contributions were felt across the team, helping share the thrill of aviation and aviation history with so many,” the post reads.
Zago’s efforts “helped hundreds of passengers experience once-in-a-lifetime flights,” the post notes.
He also participated in restoration projects that helped grow the Warbirds fleet and created the Waterloo Warbirds Youtube series “Stories from My Logbook” which shared first-hand stories from veteran World War II pilots about their time serving.
According to the Warbirds website, Zago joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a reservist at 17 but “had aviation in his blood after growing up listening to stories of his grandfather’s exploits as a pilot in WWII.”
He began flight training at 18 and worked as a bush pilot in the Northwest Territories by age 20.
Joe Stubbs
Alongside Zago was pilot Joe Stubbs.
In an Oct. 13 Facebook post, Stubbs’ sister-in-law Kathleen O’Grady shared the news.
“Our family is gutted at the sudden tragic death of my brother-in-law,” she wrote.
Stubbs was a “seasoned” pilot, glider pilot, skydiver, cave diver, canoeist, white water kayaker, rock climber and more.
“It seemed there was nothing he couldn’t do. It made him seem invincible, making his death all the more shocking for all of us,” O’Grady notes.
“He lived his life fully, creatively and bravely. We will carry this spirit on in our hearts, along with his memory.”
Anyone with information about the crash can contact police at 1-888-310-1122.
