MIDDLE MUSQUODOBOIT, N.S. - A 60-year-old pilot died after his ultralight plane plunged into a pond shortly after takeoff Sunday afternoon as horrified residents looked on.
Cpl. Scott MacRae said the man took off at about 1:45 p.m. from his property and was in the air for only a short time before crashing into the pond between Carroll's Corner and Dutch Settlement.
"It appeared he had some difficulty," he said. "Whether it was mechanical or human, we don't know, but it arced down sharply and ended up crashing in this pond."
MacRae said the pilot was submerged for a minute or two and was pulled from the water by people who witnessed the crash.
MacRae said the victim was "in and out of consciousness" as he was rushed by ambulance to hospital in Halifax, where he died.
The Transportation Safety Board was notified and the Environment Department was made aware of fluids from the wreckage leaking into the pond.
The victim's name wasn't released.
There were initial reports the man's family witnessed the crash but MacRae couldn't confirm that.
