Picture Credits: Chinook Helicopters
Chilliwack, CANADA: On April 5th Two people were killed on Saturday after a small aircraft, a Cessna 172 operated by Abbotsford-based Chinook Helicopters, crashed approximately 8 kilometers southeast of Chilliwack Lake during a routine flight training.
The crash occurred around 2:13 P.M. when the aircraft lost contact with flight tracking software. According to the Maritime Forces Pacific Public Affairs Office (MARPAC), the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria received an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal from the aircraft and initiated a search and rescue operation.
A CH-149 Cormorant helicopter from 442 Squadron in Comox and a Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) fixed-wing aircraft out of Pitt Meadows were deployed. Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) was also dispatched by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) following an automated iPhone crash notification.
CASARA located the wreckage, and the RCMP took over the recovery effort. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre confirmed that the two individuals onboard identified as the flight instructor and a student pilot were both found deceased at the scene.
Chilliwack resident William Snow reported seeing a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter land at the Chilliwack Airport as part of the rescue operation. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), in coordination with the BC Coroners Service and the RCMP, is investigating the cause of the crash.
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 172S model used for training purposes by Chinook Helicopters, a flight school based in Abbotsford.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the deceased pending notification of next of kin. The investigation remains ongoing.
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