OttawaAn Ottawa couple says they handed the part to Ottawa police more than a month ago, but TSB investigators have yet to see it.Part turned over to Ottawa police more than a month ago, but not to federal investigatorsDavid Fraser · CBC News · Posted: Sep 05, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoWhat happened to the missing pieces from the small plane that crashed in Ottawa?The Transportation Safety Board has been searching for pieces of a small plane that crashed in Ottawa this summer, injuring two passengers and killing the pilot. A piece was found, turned in to police, and apparently vanished.Craig Parfett and Mary Dalamore were relaxing in their backyard in Ottawa’s west end around dinnertime on July 31 when they heard a small aircraft sputtering noisily overhead. “That knocking of a piston out of control, hitting probably the top of the engine, and you know — knock, knock, knock, knock,” said Parfett, who has an affinity mechanics.Two days later, something caught his eye — a metal rod about 20 centimetres in length protruding from his front garden. He pulled the mysterious object from the soil to inspect it.”I immediately recognized a small camshaft out of a small engine,” Parfett said. Small plane with 3 aboard crashes west of Ottawa airport Pilot of small plane that crashed near Ottawa airport identified Recalling that a privately registered Grumman AA-5A had crashed into trees on Riverside Drive two days earlier, killing the pilot and injuring two others, Parfett and Dalamore put two and two together.They took photos of the part and called Ottawa police to report their discovery. Officers arrived, placed the piece in an evidence bag and left.Craig Parfett and Mary Dalamore discovered the object in their front garden in Ottawa’s west end two days after the plane crashed near the city’s airport, killing the pilot and injuring two passengers. (CBC)That was the last they heard about it, but Parfett and Dalamore worried that their discovery hadn’t been passed along to the federal investigators looking into the crash — especially after learning the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) was asking the public for help locating missing parts from the plane that had crashed.”I want to make sure this gets to the Transportation Safety Board,” Dalamore said. The TSB told to CBC it had received three pieces found by residents, but none turned out to be from the doomed aircraft. Ottawa police maintained they had “no information” to provide about the investigation.It was only after CBC shared Parfett and Dalamore’s photo with the TSB that investigators learned of the discovery. They asked to be put in touch with the couple, and told CBC they were eager to see the piece for themselves.As of Thursday morning, the piece was still in the possession of Ottawa police, who said arrangements were being made to hand it over to the TSB.The TSB said it’s expecting to complete its investigation by about March 2026.ABOUT THE AUTHORDavid Fraser is an Ottawa-based journalist for CBC News who previously reported in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Part found after small plane crash finally on its way to TSB
