Witness says plane that crashed with fugitives wanted for murder was overweight
CTV
A woman who knew the pilot of a fatal flight that killed two men wanted in separate murder plots says he told her he was heading for Toronto and was concerned about the plane's weight.
A woman who knew the pilot of a fatal flight that killed two men wanted in separate murder plots says he told her he was heading for Toronto and was concerned about the plane's weight.
The woman, who asked not to be identified because she was afraid for her safety, said she spoke with pilot Abhinav Handa at the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, B.C., before his plane took off on the cross-country trip in late April.
Handa told her he was carrying three passengers and had been planning the journey for at least a week, she said, although he only confirmed the date of the flight the day before departure.
The pilot expressed concern the plane was too heavy, but the woman said she didn't know if any luggage or cargo was removed.
“They were a little overloaded and they were trying to reduce their weight,” the woman told The Canadian Press.
The woman did not see the three passengers and she said she and Handa also talked about weather conditions.
Police have said Handa, Hankun Hong, Gene Lahrkamp and Duncan Bailey died in the crash near Sioux Lookout, Ont.
