Michael James Wilton has been identified as a pilot killed in a crash west of Calgary

Friends of the 45-year-old aviation enthusiast have identified him as the pilot who died in a crash west of Calgary on Friday.

Two people have been on the Mooney M20K single-engine plane since 1981, when it crashed on Highway 1 near Springbank Airport shortly after 3:30 p.m.

The collision killed the pilot and seriously injured a 22-year-old passenger who was taken to hospital with serious life-threatening injuries.

Although the RCMP did not reveal the names of any of the participants, friends have since confirmed to CTV News that the deceased is Michael James Wilton.

Wilton was president of FlightSimple, an aircraft sales company.

Since then, the company’s website has posted a message saying that it will really be missed by everyone who has had the opportunity to meet him.

“He was bigger than life, a hero to his twin boys,” the statement said. “He was much loved for his courage, generosity and sense of humor.

“Mike was one of a kind and irreplaceable.”

Michael James Wilton has been identified as a pilot killed in a crash west of Calgary on Friday, April 23, 2022. (Facebook) A friend who declined to be identified told CTV News that the woman on the plane with Wilton was certified a flight attendant. an instructor who had to transport the plane to its new owner after the flight.

He said the family hopes to organize a memorial to Wilton in the next few weeks.

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has taken over the investigation into the fatal crash.

Emergency crews responded to a fatal plane crash west of Calgary on Friday, April 22, 2022.