Three Survive Float Plane Crash In Northern Bush

Three Survive Float Plane Crash In Northern Bush

Thursday, June 03, 2010 at 13:25

 

 

More light is being shed on a float plane crash in northern Saskatchewan this week.

 

It was Tuesday afternoon when a Cessna 180 belonging to an outfitter went down in the bush north of Pinehouse.

 

Peter Hildebrandt of the Transportation Safety Board says the plane went down near Flatstone Lake.

 

He says the pilot apparently encountered turbulence shortly after takeoff.

 

According to Hildebrandt, the plane eventually collided with some tress and nosed over into the bush.

 

The pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries in the crash, but were eventually rescued by a government helicopter.

 

Capt. Mike Robert says the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario were alerted about the mishap when a satellite picked up the plane’s emergency beacon.

 

He says a rescue plane saw the pilot and passengers because of the fire they lit and flares they fired off in the darkness.

 

Robert says it was around 2:00 a.m. yesterday when they were winched up out of the bush and into a helicopter before being taken to the hospital in La Ronge.

 

Hildebrandt says it’s not clear whether a formal investigation is needed, but a decision will be made in the next few days.

 

He adds it will be the responsibility of the owner to get the plane out of the bush.