BC Coroners Service investigating three fatalities in Northern B.C. plane crash

Three killed in plane crash Three people have been confirmed dead in a plane crash northeast of Smithers. One other passenger survived and was airlifted to hospital.

The BC Coroners Service is investigating three fatalities following a small plane crash in Northwestern British Columbia Saturday.

The service told CTV News on Sunday afternoon that it is in the “very early stages” of its investigation into who died, how, where, when and by what means.

There were a total of four people on board the Cessna 182: a pilot and three passengers. The Coroners Service told CTV news that the pilot and two of the three passengers were deceased.

The remaining passenger survived, and was airlifted to hospital, the Coroners Service said.

Four people is the maximum capacity of this type of aircraft.

On Saturday the Victoria Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said it received an emergency notification from a Cessna 182 aircraft about 50 nautical miles north of Smithers at around 8:45 a.m.

Later that day, the RCMP confirmed to CTV News Vancouver that the crash was fatal, but couldn't give a number of victims or reveal any identities.

A Cormorant search and rescue helicopter and a Buffalo fixed-wing aircraft were dispatched to the scene from CFB Comox.

A helicopter was also sent from Smithers and was able to locate the crash site.