Six people have been confirmed dead after alarms were raised when a Piper PA-32 aircraft failed to reach its destination airport.
The privately owned plane departed Springbank Airport (YBW) in Rocky View County, Canada, on July 28, 2023, at approximately 8:47pm local time.
According to the Independent, contact with the aircraft was lost around 9.30pm local time while it was on route to Salmon Arm, British Columbia.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton (JRCC) was notified and a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-130H Hercules from the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron was diespatched to locate the aircraft.
Authorities were able to track the Piper PA-32 aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter, and the plane was found on Mount Bogart, about 60 km west of Calgary.
Upon finding the wreckage, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that the bodies of the pilot and five passengers were found.
“Recovering the bodies of the pilot and the passengers was very challenging due to the difficult terrain. However, all six bodies have been successfully recovered,” RCMP staff sergeant Ryan Singleton said.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is now leading the investigation.
A team of investigators from the TSB arrived at the crash site late on July 29, 2023, and began gathering evidence the following morning.
“They are conducting several interviews and collecting information about the aircraft,” a spokesperson for the TSB said.