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‘One of a kind’: Pilot killed in plane crash identified as Calgary business owner

Transportation Safety Board of Canada has taken over the investigation into the crash
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A small aircraft lies in a field next to the Trans-Canada Highway after a fatal crash near the Springbank Airport, west of Calgary, on Friday, April 22, 2022. The pilot killed in the crash has been identified as a plane crash west of Calgary has been identified as Michael James Wilton, president of FlightSimple, an aircraft sales company. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave Chidley

A pilot who was killed in a plane crash west of Calgary has been identified as the president of a local aircraft sales company.

Two people were in the 1981 Mooney M20K aircraft on Friday when it crashed along Highway 1 near the Springbank Airport.

The pilot was killed and a 22-year-old woman was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

FlightSimple, an aircraft sales company, has identified the pilot as its president, Michael James Wilton.

A statement on the company’s website says he will be missed by everyone who met him.

It says Wilton, who was 45, was larger than life, a hero to his twin boys, and was loved for his courage, generosity and sense of humour.

“Mike was one of a kind, and irreplaceable,” said the statement.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has taken over the investigation into the fatal crash.

— The Canadian Press, with files from CTV Calgary