The TSB has completed this investigation. The report was published on 6 December 2022.
Collision with obstacle on takeoff
Privately registered
Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-28-180 (Cherokee), C-FYSZ
Canton Aerodrome, Ontario
The occurrence
A privately registered Piper PA-28-180 aircraft was departing from Canton Aerodrome, Ontario, on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport, Ontario, with one pilot and one passenger onboard.
At approximately 20:15, the aircraft began the takeoff roll on runway 14, then shortly after liftoff the left wing hit a tree. The aircraft veered to the left and then subsequently impacted other trees before crashing in a soybean field. The emergency locator transmitter activated during impact and the signal was received by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario. Emergency services attended the scene and both occupants were found fatally injured.
Media materials
News release
Investigation report: Fatal collision with obstacle on takeoff at Canton Aerodrome, Ontario
Read the news release
Deployment notice
TSB deployed a team of investigators following a Piper PA-28 accident near Canton, Ontario
Richmond Hill, Ontario, 14 August 2022 — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) deployed a team of investigators following an accident on take-off involving a privately registered Piper PA-28-180 that occurred yesterday near Canton, Ontario. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence.
Investigation information
A22O0118
Collision with obstacle on takeoff
Privately registered
Piper Aircraft Corporation PA-28-180 (Cherokee), C-FYSZ
Canton Aerodrome, Ontario
Investigator-in-charge
Sébastien Lachapelle is a regional senior investigator with the Ontario region of the Air Investigations Branch. He joined the TSB in 2020.
Before joining the TSB, Mr. Lachapelle worked for various aircraft manufacturers and maintenance organizations where he occupied positions from aircraft final assembly line inspector to manager, quality assurance and regulatory compliance, including aircraft systems functional test agent and internal auditor. He also worked as an aircraft maintenance engineer.
Starting in 2007, he worked at Transport Canada as a civil aviation safety inspector and as an enforcement investigator. More recently, he worked as a technical team lead, Airworthiness.
Mr. Lachapelle holds an aircraft maintenance engineer licence from Transport Canada.
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Class of investigation
This is a class 4 investigation. These investigations are limited in scope, and while the final reports may contain limited analysis, they do not contain findings or recommendations. Class 4 investigations are generally completed within 220 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.