A team of Transportation Safety Board investigators have been deployed to the crash site of a Wasaya Airways cargo plane near Pickle Lake where its pilot died.
Captain Nick Little was the sole occupant aboard the Cessna 208 Caravan that departed Pickle Lake at 9 a.m., Dec. 11, destined for Angling Lake (Wapekeka First Nation) in northwestern Ontario.
Searchers visually located the aircraft by air reconnaissance 28 kilometres northeast of Pickle Lake on the same day.
Rescuers were hampered by poor weather conditions as a helicopter dispatched to the area was unable to reach the crash site due to heavy icing. A ground-based rescue effort was launched by the Ontario Provincial Police and Canadian Forces Search and Rescue technicians (SAR techs) at approximately 3:51 p.m. The SARs techs arrived at the aircraft site on foot at approximately 10:50 p.m. and were unable to resuscitate the pilot.
The search was started when Wasaya flight 127 was reported overdue and did not respond to radio calls.
“We are devastated by the loss of Captain Little,” said Wasaya president-CEO Michael Rodyniuk. “We have lost a dear friend and valued colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nick’s family.”
