TSB retrieves missing piece of small plane that crashed near Ottawa airport in July

A small plane that crashed near the Ottawa International Airport on July 31, 2025 is taken away by Transportation Safety Board investigators on Aug. 1, 2025. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says it has acquired a missing piece of the small plane that crashed near the Ottawa airport in July.

The Grumman AA-5A aircraft with three people onboard crash landed in a wooded area along Riverside Drive on July 31, killing the pilot. On Aug. 18, the TSB put out a call on social media for residents along the flight path to search for debris that could have fallen from the plane.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Friday, the TSB said it had received debris from three residents but determined none of the items could have come from a plane; however, the federal agency got word earlier this week that the Ottawa Police Service had what they were looking for.

“We got word a couple days ago that some residents from Westboro had found a part that looked like the aircraft’s camshaft which was brought to the Ottawa Police in the days following the accident, before we made our callout on social media. We have since contacted OPS and retrieved the missing piece,” a statement to CTV News Ottawa said.

The TSB says it will now tear down the engine and inspect every component to determine the root cause of the engine failure. The TSB said the work will focus on:

• Component failure;
• Missing components;
• Progressive material failure/fatigue cracking;
• The use of incorrect parts;
• Loose/poorly mated parts;
• Parts that are worn out; or
• Improper lubrication;

The plane had taken off from the Gatineau airport and crashed approximately 20 minutes later. The initial investigation in the hours after the crash revealed the right engine cowling of the aircraft came open and there was a substantial loss of engine oil that was sprayed over the windscreen during the flight.

“When the engine teardown will be completed in a few weeks, a technical report will be submitted to the investigator in change who will combine the lab’s work with his other findings and investigative work,” the TSB said.

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