GREENVILLE (NEWS CENTER Maine) — A husband and wife along with their 24-year-old daughter from Canada have been identified as those who died in a plane crash Monday.
The pilot Joseph Robertson, 58, was traveling with his wife, Anita Robertson, 58, and their daughter Laura Robertson, 24, from Pembroke, Ontario, headed to Prince Edward Island.
Less than an hour after the twin-engined Aerostar plane departed, it crashed as it was approaching the Greenville Municipal Airport's runway.
Police say the Federal Aviation Administration received a call at 10:40 a.m. that the plane, registered to Joe Robertson, was in distress as it was approaching the airport. The small aircraft crashed at 10:45 a.m. just shy of the runway. Police say Joseph, Anita and Laura Robertson, all from Niagara, Ontario, died at the scene.
The NTSB says its investigator has confirmed that the pilot reported a loss of power to the air traffic controller leading up to the crash, which occurred just short of the runway.
According to flight records, Joe Robertson had made the trip from St. Catharines to Pembroke three times since July 21.
The Robertsons' are known in their community for their philanthropic contributions, according to the Niagara This Week.
Joe Robertson had just become the president and CEO of Amax Health on July 26 and his longtime friend and business associate Carman Adair said the family will be sorely missed.
“We are all saddened by the tragic death of Joe Robertson, his wife Anita and their daughter Laura yesterday. Joe was a great person, great father, great husband a close friend, prominent businessman,” Adair said.
The Robertsons' leave behind two sons.
An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board is on the ground Tuesday investigating the cause of the crash.
The FAA and officials from Lycoming Engines, which is the company that manufactured the plane's engine are also on investigating the scene and will likely be in Greenville for three to four days, according to NTSB officials.
Among their next orders of business will be to interview a witness and oversee the transportation of the wreckage to a secure location.