In a shocking tragedy, six lives were extinguished after a small plane plummeted in the mountainous region of Kananaskis Country, west of Calgary, Canada. The plane was bound for Salmon Arm, British Columbia, after taking off from Springbank Airport near Calgary on Friday night, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The plane was carrying five passengers and a pilot.

As per the RCMP Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton, Air Traffic Control lost all contact with the aircraft around 9:30 pm local time. In the aftermath of the distressing incident, a squadron from the Royal Canadian Air Force in Winnipeg was deployed to find the missing plane. Assisted by the Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, the squadron found the crash site but, unfortunately, no survivors. The harsh impact of the crash led to the unfortunate demise of all six onboard.

Expressing profound condolences on behalf of the Alberta RCMP to the victims’ families, Sgt. Singleton mentioned that the rescue operations were hampered by the challenging terrain, but they managed to recover all six bodies. He also added that the identities of the victims were not disclosed at that time.

At the scene of the accident, various crews, including Mike Koppang, a mountain rescue specialist with Kananaskis Country, were present. Koppang shed light on the weather conditions during the flight, reporting cold temperatures and low-lying clouds in the region. He stated that they were still trying to establish the exact weather conditions at the time of the crash.

The ill-fated plane, a single-engine Piper PA-32, is currently under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board. As Canada mourns this devastating loss, the investigators are working tirelessly to unravel the cause behind this heartbreaking incident.

  Calgary, Canada, Kananaskis Country, Piper PA-32, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ryan Singleton