CALGARY — The wayward pilot whose actions forced officials to scramble four CF-18 Hornet fighter jets during the G7 leaders' summit in Alberta earlier this year will not face criminal charges.
During the June summit, which included leaders from Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Japan, Britain, Italy and the European Union, no-fly zones were established over the village of Kananaskis and Calgary International Airport.
There was one violation against Kananaskis on the day the leaders were supposed to arrive.
North American Aerospace Defense Command deployed fighter jets to intercept the civilian aircraft over the Kananaskis area and attempted to gain its attention before using last minute warning measures to contact the pilot.
Police said the Royal Canadian Air Force and NORAD were able to remove the man from controlled airspace and ordered him to land in Brooks, Alta., 285 kilometers east, where he was met by RCMP.
“The RCMP have concluded their investigation without laying charges,” said RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney via email.
The results of the RCMP's initial investigation have been forwarded to Transport Canada.
“Transport Canada has reviewed the circumstances of this incident to determine whether Canadian aviation regulations were followed,” Transport Canada said in a statement.
“Transport Canada maintains strict requirements, oversight measures and enforcement tools to ensure compliance.”
The statement said the department publishes the list of unincorporated offenders to serve as a deterrent and to increase public awareness and education. But under the Privacy Act, it excludes names and any other information that could identify people.
It is unclear whether the offending pilot will be added to the list of non-corporate offenders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2025.
