The Transportation Safety Board says there was an engine failure on the plane. (CBC)Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board say the engine failed on Tom Capstick's single-engine plane before it crashed in Summerside, P.E.I.

Heather MacMillan, the lead investigator, said she has not been able to determine what caused the failure ahead of Saturday's fatal crash near the Slemon Park airstrip.

"It was a very, very severe impact. The controls were all in place. They were all hooked up," she said Monday. "There was an indication that the engine was not running at the time and that the propeller was not running at the time."

MacMillan said officials could not determine how much fuel was on board at the time.

Investigators are waiting for more information, she said, but so far there is not enough evidence to warrant a safety recommendation.

A friend and fellow pilot who watched in horror as Capstick's two-seater plane crashed said there was little warning before it happened.

'The airplane proceeded to go into a spiral dive and impact the ground. It was pretty hard to see that.'— Dick Lubbersen

Dick Lubbersen says one minute he and Capstick were flying their planes side-by-side. The next, Lubbersen watched as Capstick's plane spiralled out of control.

Lubbersen and Capstick started working together at Slemon Park almost 18 years ago, and Lubbersen got his first flying lesson from Capstick.

On Saturday afternoon, Lubbersen was taking some people on a sightseeing tour while Capstick flew around in his small, bright-red two-seater. Lubbersen said they were flying in formation, next to each other, so his passengers could take pictures of the little plane.

"I just said a couple of words in the mike, not very professional. I said, 'That's cool, Tom.' And he says, 'Yeah, I'm going to peel off to the left now and go back for a landing.' So, which is what he did, he peeled off," said Lubberson.

He followed behind, at a higher altitude, and then he heard Capstick's final message, "I have a problem."

"I said, 'What's the problem? How can I help?' And there was no further transmission," said Lubberson.

"I always had him visual. And when I was not getting a transmission, the airplane proceeded to go into a spiral dive and impact the ground. It was pretty hard to see that."

Lubbersen told CBC News he is upset by the comments on media websites that Capstick, who was 70, was too old to be a pilot. Lubbersen said Capstick had passed the required medicals. He said he did not think engine failure was the cause, as Capstick had landed the plane in the past with no power.

Ready for retirement

Tom Capstick was preparing to retire at the end of October. (Facebook)

Capstick learned to fly in the military, and spent 30 years with the Armed Forces. He was assigned to CFB Summerside, and never left the area, even after the base closed in 1991 and became Slemon Park.

He retired from the Forces and signed on as airport manager when Summerside took over the abandoned airfield. He was responsible for the restoration of many of the vintage aircraft now on display in Slemon Park.

Slemon Park Corporation president Shawn McCarvill said Capstick was preparing to retire again, having just completed a major project.

"He was in his glory during the Canada Games this past August, when we had the Canada Games athletes coming and going over those two big weekends," said McCarvill.

"We probably had 4,000 athletes and coaches pass through Slemon Park here. And it was a great day."

Capstick had intended to retire at the end of October.