A flight from Springbank Airport ended in tragedy over the long weekend. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) told CTV News that a Cirrus SR-22 with two people onboard took off just after 8:50 a.m. Saturday morning from the airport in Springbank, bound for Campbell River, B.C. Nearly a half-hour later, the single-engine airplane struck terrain roughly 30 nautical miles west southwest of the airport in the Mount McDougall area of K-Country. Both people on the flight died in the crash. The Evan-Thomas Day Use Area is an access point to Mount McDougall, but the area was blocked off with caution tape on Sunday. The Alberta Parks website said that it is closed until further notice due to an ongoing operational requirement. CTV has not been able to confirm if that is connected to the crash investigation. Weather and location a challenge: Search and Rescue Brian Carriere, from Search and Rescue Alberta, said weather and the location are a challenge for any mission, whether it be rescue or recovery. “I really could describe mountain operations as probably some of the highest risk,” Carriere said. “This particular recovery operation requires highly skilled mountaineering skills, highly developed rope rescue and technical skills, as well as very, very advanced knowledge of safety and operational risk management.” Carriere added that it could be some time before investigators know what exactly led to the crash. “They’re very thorough processes and they’re not rushed because this is how we improve safety moving forward is investigating very carefully.” The TSB says it’s working with local officials, but a decision on when to send investigators has yet to be made, as weather in the area continues to hamper recovery efforts. RCMP say the bodies have not been recovered and the cause of the crash remains unknown.
