Canadian authorities reported a tragic crash on Saturday involving a small plane that resulted in the loss of six lives. The crash occurred in the province of Alberta, west of Calgary, in the Kananaskis Village.
The ill-fated flight took off from Springbank Airport, situated just west of Calgary, on Friday night. The plane, a single-engine Piper PA-32, was carrying a total of six people—a pilot and five passengers. Their intended destination was Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Unfortunately, the journey that began with hopes and excitement turned into a tragedy.
Search Operation Launched After Plane Didn't Reach Destination
As hours passed and the plane failed to arrive at its destination, concerns arose. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, declared the aircraft overdue. Distressingly, the centre's late-night communication with the police at 1 a.m. on Saturday signaled that something had gone terribly wrong.
In response to the emergency, a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules plane was dispatched to locate the missing aircraft. The search efforts proved successful when the emergency locator transmitter of the crashed plane led searchers to Mount Bogart, approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Calgary.
Investigation Underway
Tragically, the search and rescue teams, comprising Hercules crew and Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue responders, confirmed the worst possible outcome—the plane crash had resulted in no survivors. In the aftermath of the crash, the Transportation Safety Board initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
