The Air Tindi Twin Otter that came down in remote tundra this week was supporting winter road construction work, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says.
In an initial public report, the TSB said the Twin Otter – registration C-GMAS and operating on skis – was making the short hop from Margaret Lake to Lac de Gras when it hit terrain while approaching the latter lake.
The accident occurred at 12:45pm on Wednesday, 300 km northeast of Yellowknife. A Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg dropped search-and-rescue technicians to help the 10 stranded people that night, then they were picked up by helicopters and ferried to the safety of the nearby Diavik diamond mine on Thursday.
Margaret Lake and Lac de Gras are about 80 km apart.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
Lac de Gras is the traditional end point of the annual winter road from Yellowknife to the NWT’s diamond mines – the Ekati and Diavik mines are each accessible from that lake.
A spur road to the Gahcho Kué diamond mine runs to the southeast through Margaret Lake.
The aircraft involved, C-GMAS, turns 50 years old in 2024 according to published records. It has been registered to Air Tindi since 1990, barring a short spell with BC’s Harbour Air in 1998 and 1999.
There is no public record of any significant incident involving C-GMAS since 1988, when it is reported to have struck a snow bank near Yellowknife while operated by Mackenzie Air.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
The TSB’s initial report states the bare facts of this week’s incident. Investigators have not yet reached the site, a safety board spokesperson said, and are due to begin conducting interviews with people involved by video link later on Friday.
That means there is no fresh information about what might have caused the accident.
The initial report confirms that among the two crew and eight passengers there were two people with serious injuries, six with minor injuries and two who were not harmed.
“The aircraft was substantially damaged,” the report states.
Investigators are expected to reach the site later next week, the TSB told Cabin Radio.
