An airplane crash in the Tahsis Inlet has claimed the lives of two aboard, according to early reports from the scene.
Emergency crews were alerted to the incident at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20 near the Village of Tahsis on northwest Vancouver Island. RCMP reported that the crash occurred near Mizona Point in the inlet that leads to the small village. Four were aboard the small plane, which was headed from Masset on the northern coast of Haida Gwaii, to Tofino.
Tahsis Fire Chief Lisa Illes said that her crew was alerted to the incident in case it caused a forest fire that could encroach on the village.
“I got alerted about 2 o’clock yesterday that there was smoke out in the inlet at Mazino Point,” said Illes, who coordinated with the Coastal Fire Centre and other agencies. “I just made my crew aware of it and they helped out with letting coastal gain access and the RCMP gain access to the forestry service roads.”
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and the Canadian Coast Guard responded to the crash, as did the Nootka Sound RCMP with a police boat.
Today a team of investigators from the Transportation Safety Board headed to the scene to determine the cause of the crash. The aircraft involved is a privately owned Quest Kodiak 100 that is not operated by an airline company, said the TSB.
“The RCMP is working alongside the Transportation Safety Board and the BC Coroners Service to determine the cause of this incident,” stated the police. “We are asking anyone with information to contact the Nootka Sound RCMP at 250-283-2227.”
