Pilot killed in fatal glider crash mourned by many

The Calgary man who died following a glider crash near Diamond Valley has been identified as 65-year-old Kerry Stevenson.

Stevenson was declared deceased on May 29 after he was found by emergency responders in a field south of Highway 7.

He was participating in the Canadian National Soaring Championships, which was cancelled on the evening of his death.

Jason Acker, President of the Alberta Soaring Council, says Stevenson had attempted to safely eject from the glider before it crashed.

"The glider had issues that prompted the pilot to attempt to bail out of the aircraft and deploy a parachute. The parachute obviously didn't slow down the descent and the pilot was killed on impact with the ground."

The Transportation Safety Board is carrying out an investigation where they'll be analyzing all possible factors that could have contributed to the crash, including the glider itself, weather conditions at the time, and the parachute.

"Gliding is a safe sport, this is an extremely rare event. There are risks that pilots take on when they compete in competitions, and we manage these risks as best we can. Unfortunately, on days like Wednesday, it was a tragic loss of life," says Acker.

Acker describes Stevenson as a well-respected pilot and club member, a sentiment shared in the Cu Nim Gliding Club in their release.

"In his life away from the gliding club, Kerry was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a Realtor, a motorcyclist, a dog dad and many other beloved titles," reads the release.

"Kerry will be fondly remembered and missed by members of the gliding club and members of the many communities where he contributed"