A seasoned glider pilot and instructor with the Edmonton Soaring Club lost her life in a crash over the May long weekend, marking a tragic milestone for the aviation community east of Edmonton.
RCMP responded to the accident in Lamont County, northeast of Edmonton, shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday. The solo pilot was pronounced dead at the scene, located approximately two to three miles northwest of Chipman, just north of Highway 29.
According to club president Doug Woytuik, the Edmonton woman in her 40s was executing her second flight of the day when disaster struck. "She took off as per usual, released from tow. Nobody knew anything bad was happening. Nobody heard a radio call," Woytuik told media on Tuesday.
The pilot, described as an exceptionally experienced aviator, had been flying since her teenage years through air cadets. She served as an air cadets instructor before taking a break from aviation, later returning to active flying with the Edmonton Soaring Club several years ago, where she eventually became a gliding instructor.
"Very experienced, talented person," Woytuik said. "We're shocked. We're sad."
A club member received word of the crash from a neighbouring property owner after the glider came down in their field. By the time club members arrived, emergency services—including police and ambulance crews—had already secured the scene and begun their investigation.
The Edmonton Soaring Club operates out of a private gliderport airstrip near Chipman, approximately 45 minutes east of Edmonton. The club, which has been operating at the location since 1972, conducts roughly 1,000 flights annually. This marks the first fatality in the club's five-decade history at the Chipman facility.
RCMP initially withheld the pilot's identity pending notification of next-of-kin, which Woytuik confirmed had been completed by Tuesday.
This article is based on reporting from Global Calgary.