Five people were killed in a plane crash near Red Lake, Ontario, on Sunday, Nov. 10.
According to reports from the Ontario Provincial Police, a Bearskin Airlines twin engine turbo prop crashed near the Red Lake airport at 6:30 p.m. local time.
Police confirmed the five deceased included two pilots: a 25-year-old man from Mississauga and a 34-year-old man from Winnipeg. The three passengers killed in the crash were a 53-year-old woman, a 53-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, all from Red Lake.
Police added two people, a 29-year-old male and a 50-year-old female, both from Winnipeg, survived the crash and were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said they will release the names of the deceased once next of kin have been notified.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it deployed a team to Red Lake Monday to investigate the causes of the crash.
Police said the 19-passenger Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner plane departed from Sioux Lookout and was scheduled to land in Red Lake, located about 570 km northwest of Thunder Bay.
“It was not a good day for Red Lake,” said Phil Vinet, the mayor of Red Lake.
Vinet said the Remembrance Day ceremony at the town legion was especially sombre. “There were very few words spoken at the service this morning,” he said.
Vinet added two communities in Red Lake were without power after the plane crash. He said the plane hit power lines off the highway, near the airport.
The Nov. 10 crash was the second in Red Lake in 2013. On May 30 a Beech 18 float plane crashed shortly after take-off.
Jim Beauchene, 59, and his wife, Brenda, 58, were killed in that crash.
Red Lake has had a long and active history of aviation. Vinet said, keeping that history in mind, there have been few deadly crashes.
On May 1, 1995, a Bearskin Fairchild Metroliner, inbound to Sioux Lookout on a flight from Red Lake, collided in mid air with an Air Sandy Piper PA-31 Navajo. All eight people on board both planes died in the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and coworkers affected by this tragic accident,” said a message on the Bearskin Airlines Facebook page. “Words are not enough to express our deepest sympathies.”
