Posted for "Barney Briton" <bbriton@platinum.ca>:

 Mike
 
 You are correct.  I am in Calgary.  On Tuesday the weather here was not that
nice.  When I first saw this report I though it must have been another
thunderstorm transistion issue.  In other words you can't fly through a severe
thunder storm.
 
 In Canada the ATC does not have very good weather capability and are
reluctant to give advice or even advise you of thunderstorm activity some
times.  They would however be able to see severe storms that close to Calgary.
 Sundre where they crashed is very close to the Rocky Mountains and tends to
be a hot spot for bad weather.  Unfortunately it is also on track to Grande
Prairie, his destination.  I have had a very scarey flight on that track a few
years ago in a Dash 8 that I picked up over two inches of ice and was in
atleast moderate turbuleance, as it was at the control limits a few times but
did not go out of control.
 
 I believe that it will be determined the same as the one two years ago just
north of Florida that had the inflight break up due to a Cat 5 storm
transition.  I was remarking to myself from the ground that day as to how
"defined" the storms were and how that they must be very active and strong for
that much definition. The storm I was looking at would have been over Sundre.
 
 
 Barney Britton
 
 IVPT
 
 Calgary
 
 
"""
  I heard from a pilot that was in the area at the time of the accident and he
said there were some severe thunderstorms in the area, tops up around 40K
feet.  He also heard some radio calls to N750F.
 
  Mike
"""