An Ontario town is mourning a family of five who died in a Nashville plane crash earlier this week.
Forty-three-year-old Victor Dotsenko, his 39-year-old wife Rimma Dotsenko and their three children, 12-year-old David, 10-year-old Adam and seven-year-old Emma, were killed Monday as a single-engine plane crashed alongside a highway.
The family, who were the only people aboard the plane, lived in King Township, located about 50 km north of Toronto.
UMCA Rich Tree Academy says the family was part of the school community for many years.
The school says David, Adam and Emma "lit up" the hallways and had "such a positive energy and attitude" toward friends and teachers.
It says the children's parents were always very close to the school community and the family will be missed tremendously.
The town's mayor, Steve Pellegrini, expressed condolences to the friends and relatives of the family Wednesday night, calling it a "heartbreaking and devastating loss" for the "tight-knit community."
Victor Dotsenko, who was flying the plane, had radioed air traffic controllers to report that his engine had shut down.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has sent a representative to assist in the crash investigation being led by U.S. authorities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2024.
The Canadian Press
