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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says wildfires burning near Fort Simpson and the village’s evacuation are impeding its investigation of a fatal plane crash.
Three people were killed in the crash around 50 km outside Fort Simpson on June 24. The Buffalo Airways Turbo Commander 690 had been working on wildfire FS009, located west of the village.
Jonathan Lee, western regional manager for the Transportation Safety Board (or TSB), told Cabin Radio on Monday that investigators arrived at the accident site on Friday and were able to take photographs and get measurements.
“It was at that time we began to realize that not all the aircraft was there, that we were missing a wing and the tail section, the horizontal and vertical stabilizer,” he said.
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On Saturday, Lee said, investigators chartered a helicopter and followed the Buffalo Airways plane’s flight path but were unable to locate the missing pieces of the plane. He said investigators were able to determine a “fairly accurate path” through data that had been transmitted from the plane to a satellite.
Lee said the accident site is “very challenging” due to the nearby wildfire, with smoke affecting visibility. Muskeg, soft ground and small lakes and creeks in the area also present difficulties.
Investigators left Fort Simpson and arrived in Yellowknife early Monday morning, Lee said, after an evacuation order was issued for the community on Sunday evening due to concerns that winds could push wildfire FS016 toward the village.
As of Monday morning, NWT Fire said the out-of-control wildfire was 8,900 hectares and burning seven kilometres west of Fort Simpson’s airport.
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The wildfire agency said lightning-caused FS009 is about 100 hectares in size and is located in the Martin Hills. NWT Fire said that fire is not threatening communities or infrastructure at this time.
Lee said while in Yellowknife, TSB investigators are conducting interviews with Buffalo Airways.
The cause of the crash is currently unknown. Lee said the aircraft will need to be recovered by helicopter and sent to Edmonton for detailed examination, including examination of fracture surfaces for the missing wing by a metallurgical engineer.
“That’s going to start to be able to direct where we go next with the investigation,” he said.
It is unclear how long recovery of the plane may take, Lee said, given the evacuation of Fort Simpson and the use of local helicopters for firefighting efforts.
“[It’s] definitely impacting the investigation. How many days that’s going to delay us remains to be seen,” he said.
