The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported a tragic small plane crash in Kananaskis Country, a mountain region located west of Calgary, leading to six fatalities on Saturday.
According to the RCMP, the aircraft, carrying a pilot and five passengers, departed from Springbank Airport near Calgary on Friday evening, heading for Salmon Arm in British Columbia.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton from the RCMP stated that around 9:30 p.m. local time (0330 GMT Saturday), communication with the plane was abruptly lost. Following the report that the plane was overdue, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) squadron stationed in Winnipeg launched a search mission.
The crash site was eventually located by the squadron. Despite the rescue efforts of Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, no survivors were found among the six individuals onboard, as confirmed by Singleton.
The RCMP chose not to disclose the victims’ identities.
“Recovery of the pilot and the passengers’ bodies posed a significant challenge due to the complex landscape. Nevertheless, all six bodies have been successfully retrieved,” said Singleton. He added that the Transport Safety Board of Canada is now leading a probe into the crash circumstances.
