Craig Parfett and Mary Dalamore were enjoying a quiet evening in their backyard in Ottawa’s west end on July 31 when they heard a noisy small aircraft flying overhead. Parfett, who has a passion for mechanics, described the sound as a piston knocking uncontrollably, likely hitting the top of the engine.
Two days later, while inspecting their front garden, Parfett noticed a 20-centimeter metal rod protruding from the soil. Upon pulling it out, he immediately recognized it as a small camshaft from a small engine. Recalling the recent crash of a privately registered Grumman AA-5A into trees on Riverside Drive, which resulted in the death of the pilot and injuries to two others, Parfett and Dalamore connected the dots.
They documented the discovery with photos and promptly contacted Ottawa police to report it. Law enforcement officers arrived, secured the piece in an evidence bag, and departed without further communication.
Concerned that their finding had not reached federal investigators examining the crash, especially after the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) appealed to the public for help in locating missing aircraft parts, Parfett and Dalamore expressed their desire for the information to be relayed to the TSB.
Despite Ottawa police stating they had no information to provide about the investigation, the TSB confirmed that three pieces submitted by residents did not belong to the crashed plane. After CBC shared Parfett and Dalamore’s photo with the TSB, investigators expressed interest in examining the piece and requested to connect with the couple.
As of the latest update, Ottawa police retained possession of the piece and were making arrangements to transfer it to the TSB. The TSB anticipates concluding its investigation by approximately March 2026.
