Cessna 208 Plane. Representational image by John Mcarthur on Unsplash
Toronto/CMEDIA: Missing commercial plane with two passengers was located by the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) aircraftin a remote area of northern Ontario on Feb. 28 just south of Chaucer Lake, Ont. at approximately 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) search and rescue technicians (SAR Techs) who were deployed from a CH-146 Griffon helicopter at about 11:55 a.m., found the occupants deceased when RCAF SAR Techs arrived on scene.
“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, we hope it brings closure to the family and friends,” said Captain David Baird, a Searchmaster 1 with the RCAF’s Search and Rescue Region Trenton, in a news release Saturday.
“Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.”
The Cessna 208 left Nakina – located nearly 350 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay – around 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 en route to Fort Hope.
When the plane did not arrive at Fort Hope as scheduled, Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Trenton began the search with an RCAF aircraft and a civilian aircraft on Feb. 28 and was upgraded to a major SAR operation on Wednesday
Those involved in the search included: Five RCAF aircraft; one Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources helicopter, one Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) helicopter, one Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) helicopter; and two CASARA aircraft flown by volunteers and approximately 60 individuals in the air and on the ground from various organizations including 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, 8 Wing Trenton; 435 and 442 Transport and Rescue Squadrons, 19 Wing Comox; 439 Combat Support Squadron and 3 Wing Bagotville, and Webequie First Nation and local Canadian Rangers
The name of the company that owns the plane or the identities of the two deceased individuals have not yet been released by the officials.
The results of the search have been advised to the OPP and Transport Canada.
An investigation into the cause of this crash would be launched by the Transportation Safety Board.
#MissingCessna208Plane; #RCAF
