Four people have died in a plane crash southeast of Sioux Lookout, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) confirmed on Sunday.
A specialized unit of the Ontario Provincial Police has been sent to investigate the cause of the crash and identify the four dead who were on board, OPP spokeswoman Alison Lawrence told CBC News.
“We were able to identify only two of the four and are still working on the notification [of their families] for these two. While we have [identities for] all four, we will not be able to disclose the names of the victims, “Lawrence said Sunday afternoon.
The plane is privately owned by the pilot, Lawrence said.
Rescuers found the plane early Saturday, according to the Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Center. There are no survivors among the people on board.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those on board at this difficult time,” David Lavalli, a spokesman for Canada’s 1st Aviation Division and Canada’s NORAD regional headquarters, said in an email Sunday.
JRCC Trenton conducted a search on Saturday after it was reported that the plane was late for arrival. The plane was a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, a light aircraft with two to four passengers used for family, flight training or taxis, and was in transit between the two cities in northwestern Ontario Dryden and Marathon.
Lavallee said demand included two RCAF aircraft, including the CC-130H Hercules from the Winnipeg-based 435 Squadron and the 424-squadron CH-146 Griffon helicopter based at 8 Wing Trenton, Ont.
An Ontario government helicopter also assisted in the search, and Civil Air Search and Rescue Thunder Bay provided support.
Searchers used the plane’s emergency locator to find the plane, Lavalli added.
Sioux Lookout is a town about 350 kilometers northwest of Thunder Bay.
Unfortunately, the plane was found to have crashed without survivors. Our thoughts are with the families and relatives of those on board.
– @ JRCCTrentCCCOS
OPP’s Sioux Lookout team is now investigating the fatal plane crash, according to a press release issued Sunday morning.
The Transport Safety Council of Canada has also been notified, a spokesman confirmed to CBC News, and they are sending a team of investigators to the scene to gather information and assess what happened.
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