2 dead, 2 injured in plane crash on Vancouver Island's west coast: police
Chad Pawson | CBC News | Posted: June 21, 2023 3:48 PM | Last Updated: June 22, 2023
Single-prop plane was flying from Haida Gwaii to Tofino when it went down near remote Tahsis Inlet, RCMP say
Two people are dead and two injured after a plane crashed on Vancouver Island's west coast, according to first responders.
Mounties said in a release Wednesday that Nootka Sound RCMP were notified of a plane crash near Mizona Point on the Tahsis Inlet, a remote area around 300 kilometres northwest of Victoria, around 2 p.m. PT Tuesday.
RCMP said four people were on board the aircraft, which the federal Transportation Safety Board (TSB) identified as a single-propeller Quest Kodiak 100 plane with floats.
Mounties and the TSB said the plane was flying from Masset on Haida Gwaii, around 600 kilometres northwest of the crash site, to Tofino. The TSB said the plane crashed on the ground 111 kilometres from Tofino and caught fire.
The small municipality of Tahsis is located at the head of the Tahsis inlet. Some people from community posted online Tuesday that they saw smoke from the crash.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC) and the Coast Guard responded to the emergency while Nootka Sound RCMP went with a police boat."Once on scene, Royal Canadian Air Force search and rescue technicians hoisted two personnel on board the helicopter for transfer to EHS [Emergency Health Services]," said Kelly Stark with the JRCC.
The centre said it was alerted to an emergency locator beacon at 1:42 p.m. PT Tuesday, and rescue vessels, helicopters and a C130 Hercules military plane responded.
The other two people on board the aircraft were taken to Comox, on Vancouver Island's east coast, where paramedics transported them to hospital.
BCEHS has not provided details of their injuries.
Village of Tahsis Mayor Martin Davis said the crash occurred in a rugged and forested area. Responders trying to reach the site had to cut off a lock to open a forest service road gate.
"We live in a really mountainous area with mountains up to 1,500 metres," Davis said.
"My understanding is that it crashed fairly close to the ocean. I'm not sure why it was flying so low."
WATCH | Coast Guard jumps into action after plane crash:
Weather a possible cause: RCMP
The TSB, which investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation incidents with the aim of improving transportation safety, has deployed a team of investigators to the scene. They will work with RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service to determine the cause of the crash.
Wildfire crews also responded to monitor the fire, which, RCMP said, burned a small area.
Cpl. Alex Berube told CBC News that initial information suggests weather conditions might have been a factor in the crash.
The Quest Kodiak 100 plane can carry up to 10 people, according to the manufacturer's website.
Mounties are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact the Nootka Sound RCMP at 250-283-2227.