Fatal plane crash in west Sask. caused by tight turn and stall at low altitude: TSB

A fatal plane crash in west Saskatchewan was caused by a tight turn and stall at low altitude. (Photo source: Transportation Safety Board)

A small plane that crashed near Lloydminster that left two people dead in 2024 was caused by a stall at low altitude, according to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB).

The TSB issued its investigation report on the crash on Wednesday.

On Sept. 8, 2024, a Cessna U206F took off from the Kindersley Regional Aerodrome. The aircraft, operated by KBM Forestry Consultants Inc. was on the second portion of a power line inspection flight – where it was contracted to take photos of power lines.

The two crew members shared the duties of pilot and observer. The airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder – as it was not required by regulation.

Instead, investigators used photos and video recovered from the plane to determine the pilot started a right turn at a height of approximately 200-300 feet. Investigators believe the turn was made with the intention of getting back on the original flight path to continue along the power line.

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During the turn, the aircraft stalled, resulting in a sharper angle turn than expected. The plane went into a roll and crashed into the ground within three seconds.

The pilot was fatally injured, while the observer died three days later from their injuries.

According to the report, video captured aboard the plane indicated that greater force was used in the aircraft’s final turn, which caused its load factor to increase.

“The increased load factor would have increased the stall speed,” the report read. “The investigation determined that the aircraft experienced a stall during the turn. The stall occurred at a height at which it would have been difficult to regain control of the aircraft before the collision with the terrain.”

The TSB found the pilot and the observer had all the required training and experience for the low-altitude flight. There was no indication that the crew’s performance was negatively affected by “medical or physiological factors.”

Weather and aircraft issues were not factors in the crash.

Since the fatal incident, KBM Forestry Consultants Inc. has brought in policies such as requiring pilots in command to have a minimum of 750 flight hours and low-level ground and flight training with an added emphasis on stall recovery, drift illusions, and emergency procedures in low altitude environments.

“When required to conduct steep turns at low height, pilots need to be cautious given that there may be insufficient height to recover from an inadvertent stall,” the report concluded.

The approximate location of the crash, based on the Transportation Safety Board’s Jan. 7, 2026 report.