Quebec woman using riding lawnmower struck, killed by landing aircraft

MONTREAL -

A bizarre accident has claimed the life of a woman in her 20s who was struck and killed by a landing aircraft while she was cutting grass with a riding lawnmower at an airfield north of Montreal.

Quebec provincial police spokesperson Marc Tessier said authorities were alerted to the incident about 12:50 p.m. Monday, saying it occurred on Route 125 near Saint-Esprit, in the Lanaudiere region of Quebec, about 75 kilometres north of Montreal.

"The victim was on a tractor and she was hit by a plane that was landing," said Tessier of the Surete du Quebec. "She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead."

Tessier said the pilot of the aircraft was also transported to the hospital and treated for nervous shock.

The plane appears to be a trainer aircraft like the Soviet Yakovlev Yak-52 or the Nanchang CJ-6 from China.

The incident occurred at a Parachute Montreal landing field.

SQ collision reconstruction experts have been sent to the scene to analyze the crash site.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is deploying a team of investigators to the crash site to gather information and assess what happened.

Tessier could not confirm whether it was a plane used for skydiving or a private small aircraft.