Six dead and one survivor from plane crash en route to diamond mine in Canada
The Northwestern Air Lease aircraft crashed in an area of the Northwest Territories. It comes less than 48 hours after a ski-helicopter tragedy
Canadian authorities announced that a British Aerospace Jetstream plane operated by the regional company Northwestern Air Lease crashed on Tuesday morning in an area of the Northwest Territories near the city of Fort Smith, on the border with the province of Alberta. The director of the Northwest Territories coroner’s service reported Wednesday that four passengers and two crew members died. One person survived and was taken to Stanton Hospital, located in the city of Yellowknife. The survivor’s condition is still not known.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 500 meters from the end of the runway at Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Northwestern Air Lease company, which offers regional services, has two aircraft, both with capacity for 19 passengers. The Royal Canadian Air Force sent two Hercules aircraft and a Twin Otter to the area. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Rangers (an army reserve unit) searched the ground and located the remains of the plane. The aircraft was headed to the Diavik diamond mine, owned by the Rio Tinto company, located about 186 miles northeast of Yellowknife.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Bureau sent a team of investigators to the crash site. The cause of the tragedy is not yet known. Jakob Stausholm, CEO of Rio Tinto, sent a message of condolences to the families, adding: “We are working closely with authorities and will help in any way we can with their efforts to find out exactly what has happened.”
Northwest Territories Premier R. J. Simpson issued a statement in tribute to the victims. “The people we lost were not just passengers on a flight; they were neighbors, colleagues, friends, and loved ones. Their stories and contributions to our communities will not be forgotten,” said Simpson.
This is the second air tragedy in less than 48 hours in western Canada. On Monday, three people died in a helicopter crash near the town of Terrace, British Columbia. The three victims, heli-skiers or off-piste skiers, were of Italian nationality.
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