News details released on fatal plane crash near Fort Simpson
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released new details on a fatal plane crash near Fort Simpson, N.W.T., in August.
The floatplane, a Cessna 206, operated by Simpson Air, went down when it was coming in for a landing on Little Doctor Lake on Aug. 16.
According to the TSB, the pilot lost control during the touchdown and the right float dug into the lake, causing the right wing to hit the surface of the water. The aircraft suddenly nosed over and landed upside down on the lake.
The TSB's update says an emergency locator transmitter was activated, but no signal was received.
The plane was flying two couples on a tour of Nahanni National Park Reserve. It had already completed a trip from Fort Simpson to Virginia Falls before heading to Little Doctor Lake.
The pilot and one passenger were able to escape the submerged plane and were rescued by a nearby boater within 20 minutes. The two women were flown to the Fort Simpson Health Centre that evening but weren't injured.
Geoffrey Dean, 33, from Castor, Alta., and Jean and Stewart Edelman, both 72, from Saskatoon were killed in the crash.
A spokesperson for the TSB told CBC News they could not comment further on the investigation into the crash as it is ongoing.
It is currently in the examination and analysis phase, the second of three phases in the TSB's investigation process.
