RCMP say a plane has crashed near Fort Smith, N.W.T. An RCMP logo is seen in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
FORT SMITH, N.W.T. – The Fort Smith Health Centre in the Northwest Territories activated its mass casualty protocol Tuesday after a passenger plane crashed near the community.
The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority did not provide any details about the crash or how many people were involved, citing patient confidentiality.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the plane that crashed was a British Aerospace Jetstream registered to Northwestern Air Lease.
The airline’s website said it has two of the planes in its fleet that can carry 19 passengers.
A representative for the company did not provide an immediate comment but confirmed it was a charter plane.
The safety board is sending investigators to the scene.
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton confirmed the military responded when the plane lost contact shortly after taking off near Fort Smith, a town about 740 kilometres south of Yellowknife near the Alberta boundary.
The Air Force, RCMP and Canadian Rangers were all involved in the search-and-rescue, said David Lavallee, a public affairs officer with Search and Rescue Region Trenton.
Three Air Force squadrons provided air support, while police and rangers conducted a search on the ground, he said.
Lavallee said a CC-130H Hercules aircraft travelled to the site from Calgary and a CC-130J Hercules was sent from Trenton, Ont. A Twin Otter aircraft was sent from Yellowknife.
“Canadian Rangers located the aircraft near the Slave River, and (search-and-rescue) “¦ parachuted into the site,” said Lavallee.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 23, 2024.
