Overview
- Responders confirmed late Wednesday that a small ‘‘bird dog’’ aircraft crashed about 50 kilometres west of Fort Simpson, killing all three people on board.
- The plane was operating in support of firefighters on FS009, a lightning-caused blaze of roughly 100 hectares that officials say did not threaten communities or infrastructure.
- Buffalo Airways confirmed one of its aerial firefighting pilots was among the dead and said it is cooperating with investigators while providing support to staff.
- The RCMP and the N.W.T. coroner are leading recovery efforts and the Transportation Safety Board has sent investigators to determine the cause and gather wreckage and flight data.
- Reports disagree on the exact Turbo Commander model involved, and authorities have mobilized critical-incident stress teams for crews while the formal probe looks for safety lessons for aerial wildfire operations.