Pilot who died in Springbank plane crash identified as president of aircraft sales company

The pilot who died at the scene of a fatal plane crash in Springbank on Friday has been identified. 

FlightSimple, an aircraft sales company, identified the pilot as its president, 45-year-old Michael James Wilton.

In a statement posted to its website, the company noted that Wilton will be missed by all those who had the opportunity to meet him.

"[Michael] was larger than life, a hero to his twin boys," the statement read.

"He was well-loved for his courage, generosity and sense of humour. Mike was one of a kind, and irreplaceable."

Emergency responders were called Friday to the scene of the crash just outside of Springbank Airport near Highway 1, west of Calgary in Rocky View County.

A 22-year-old woman was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said in a statement Friday night. 

RCMP said both the body of the plane and the wing were damaged.

The aircraft ⁠— a Mooney M20K ⁠— was privately registered, and had been conducting a local flight from Springbank Airport before it crashed into the ground around 3:17 p.m., Chris Krepski, a spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), told CBC News.

On Wednesday, Krepski confirmed that the TSB investigation is ongoing. A team of investigators finished their work at the site of the crash over the weekend and the plane has now been relocated to the TSB's regional office in Edmonton.