Niagara-area family killed in crash of plane that left Pembroke, Ont.

A plane that departed from Pembroke, Ont., and crashed in rural Maine on Monday killed three members of a family from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., according topolice.

The Greenville Police Department confirmedTuesday that 58-year-old pilot Joseph Robertson, his 58-year-old wife Anita and their 24-year-old daughter Laura died at the scene.

Their plane, which departednear the family's Golden Lake, Ont., cottage, had beenbound for P.E.I.

The family is prominent in St. Catharines, Ont., where they made major financial contributions to a performing arts centre, were active in the United Way and where JosephRobertson served on the board of Brock University for nearly a decade.

Brian McMullan, a former mayor of St. Catharines, said he'd been informed they were on their way to a family vacation in Charlottetown when the plane crashed.

The 60-year-old described them as "genuine, decent people," who made a key early donation to the performing arts centre, which has helped revitalize the city's centre.

'The whole region will be hurting'

Joseph Robertson's longtime friend and business partner, CarmanAdair, said that just last week he andJoseph got together to start a new business venture.

"They'll be extremely missed by us. They touched so many lives, not only in business but in their personal lives,"Adair said by phone Tuesday.

"They're just a wonderful couple and they had a wonderful family ... the whole region will be hurting."

Anita and Joseph's two adult sons, who were not on the flight Monday, are deeplyshaken by the loss of their parents and sister, Adairadded.

"I looked at the [flight] records and thought it can't be Joe because he's too perfect," Adairsaid. "I just still think he's going to call me and [say] everything is OK, but I know it's not.It's a surreal experience."

3 dead after plane bound for P.E.I. crashes in Maine

8 years ago

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Three members of a prominent St. Catharines, Ont. family died when a plane bound for P.E.I. crashed in rural Maine.

'Shocked and saddened'

Brock University president GervanFearonsaid in a statement the university was "absolutely shocked and saddened" by their deaths.

"Joetook on responsibility after responsibility, and with enthusiasm," said Jack Lightstone, a former Brock president.

"The thing that struck everyone about Joe was his commitment."

He said Laura Robertson had just been hired to work in the university's athletics and recreation department.

Crashed on approach

Jesse Crandall, Greenville's town manager,said in an interview Monday that witnesses reported seeing a smallairplane pass over Greenville Municipal Airportbefore crashing in a field on the approach to the runway at about 11 a.m. on Monday.

"They turned around over the airport and were coming back, banked sharply ... and they hit the ground real hard," he said by phone.

Crandall arrived at the airport just minutes after the crash. First responders told him there were no survivors in the mangledtwin-engine propeller Piper Smith-Aerostar 600 light aircraft.

He said he had been receiving calls from aviation authorities informing him that the Canadian plane had communicated it was in distress and needed to make an emergency landing at his community's airport.

'A whole lot of people hurting from it'

"It's a sad day ... and now there's a whole lot of people hurting from it, all the families," said Crandall.

A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said the plane had departed Pembroke and was bound for Charlottetown when it went down.

Jennifer Layman a spokesperson for the Pembroke and Area Airport, where the plane took off said the private flight was one of two that departed around 9 a.m. ET on Monday.

She said the Pembroke airport received a call from the Greenville airport at about 11:30 a.m. ET, advising them of the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking into the matter and will investigate the probable cause of the crash.

NTSB spokesperson Terry Williams said Tuesday the pilot reported to air traffic control that there had beena loss of power, and that investigators don't know what happened between then and the crash.

The aircraft eventually crashed short of the runway.

An NTSB investigator willspeakwithwitnesses, arrange for the aircraft to be moved to a secure location andgather evidence on the engine condition, maintenance records and the pilot records over the next 10 days, Williams said.

An initial report is expected in seven to 10 days. A full report with analysis won't be released for at least a year.

Greenville is about 240kilometresnorth of Portland, Maine, in a rural part of the state's interior. Pembroke is about 150 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.