The two men killed in a Cessna plane crash in B.C.'s Fraser Valley have been identified as a young pilot and his student.
Brett Loftus, 25, of Langley and Joel Nortman, 23, of Vancouver, were killed when the two-seat plane they were flying lost control in a remote area near the north end of Harrison Lake on Tuesday afternoon. The pair had taken off from Boundary Bay Airport on a training flight with the Pacific Flying Club a short time earlier.
The area of the wreckage is amongst thick brush and large boulders and is only accessible by helicopter. It is still unclear who was piloting the plane at the time of the crash.
Search and rescue team members from Chilliwack and Kent removed the men's bodies from the crash site yesterday. They were taken to the Chilliwack airport for a preliminary coroner's exam, and then to Royal Columbian Hospital for further examination.
"This was absolutely a tragic accident," said RCMP Cpl. Tammy Hollingsworth.
"The families and friends of these two men are understandably having difficulty dealing with their losses."
RCMP say there is nothing to indicate that the crash was criminal in nature. The Transportation Safety Board and the BC Coroners Service will now complete separate investigations into the tragedy.
