2 Canadian Forces officers identified as victims of Canada Day plane crash outside Winnipeg

Two members of the Canadian Forces have been identified as the people who died in a plane crash on Canada Day just outside of Winnipeg.

Capt. Bradley Ashcroft and Capt. Zachary Cloutier-Gill were inside the Piper PA-28, a small passenger plane, which went down around 9:30 a.m. on Friday near Deacon's Corner, south of Dugald Road along the eastern outskirts of the city.

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Both men were posted to the 1 Canadian Air Division and the Canadian NORAD Region headquarters in Winnipeg, military spokesman David Lavallee said.

"This is a tragedy no matter what the circumstances are. We have lost two members of our [Royal Canadian Air Force] family here in Winnipeg … and we are tight-knit so it's a very sad weekend for us," he said.  

Captain Ashcroft was a member of the construction engineering branch and served in the Canadian Armed Forces for just over nine years.

Two people died in the crash near Deacon’s Corner, on the outskirts of Winnipeg. (Transportation Safety Board of Canada)

Cloutier-Gill was a combat systems officer and had served for nearly 12 years.

Lavallee said the armed forces is focusing on helping the families.

"We want their families to know that the entire RCAF, our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we are working hard to support them in their time of need," Lavallee said.

The men were flying in a private aircraft and were not on duty at the time of the crash.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating, but no cause has been released.