DEBRIS FROM CRASH - Three men perished in the mid-air collision over Caledon of two small aircraft. One plane downed power lines and debris was scattered across a large area in fields off Willoughby Road. Two Cessna aircraft collided mid-air and crashed in a farmer's field in Caledon, shortly before 1 p.m. last Friday, killing both pilots and a lone passenger.

One plane departing Burlington destined for Parry Sound was flown by David Norton, 57, of Burlington.

The other plane was returning to the Brampton Flying Club from a training area, carrying Ryan Sumere, 28, of Mississauga, a flight instructor at the Brampton flight centre and his student Vinoo Abraham, 26, also of Mississauga. According to reports investigators don't know who was piloting the single engine plane at the time of the accident.

Initial reports of the accident were called into the Ontario Provincial Police at 12:40 p.m. by area residents and police responded by securing the crash site and barricading Willoughby Road between Beachgrove and Charleston (formerly Highway24).

Const. Linda Kennedy, spokesperson for the OPP, reported there were two crash locations on both sides of Willoughby Road

Photos/Alan Liczyk and debris was scattered over a fairly large area. One of the planes missed a farmhouse and crashed in the field behind the building. The occupants of the home were said to be the first to call 911 and Const. Kennedy was unsure whether they approached the scene to attempt first aid.

Police assisted transport safety investigators by keeping traffic diverted and the roadways were reopened some time before Saturday morning.

Hydro in the area was interrupted temporarily as crews were called out to restore the power when one of the planes hit the power lines.

The weather on Friday afternoon was ideal for flying - clear skies and moderate winds - and investigators report the ceiling and visibility at the time were good.

"A collision like this," said Rae Simpson, investigator in charge from the Transport Safety Board of Canada, "simply means it's a case of the two aircraft not seeing each other in time to take evasive action and it's our job to figure out why."

Both aircraft were predominately white with blue trim and investigators are trying to piece together what happened.

Mr. Simpson explained both aircraft were flying under visual flight rules (VFR), which means the pilots were responsible for their own separation and not under air traffic control.

"Two aircraft flying toward each other, headon create a low profile," he said." We will be looking at the position of the sun and sky conditions and what the background may have looked like from the airplanes."

Mr. Simpson confirms it may take some time before a cause is known as the investigation will delve into all the circumstances and risk factors.