Three passengers and the pilot all sustained minor injuries after a plane crash in Nahanni Butte, Wednesday.
The accident involving a Cessna 206 airplane owned by South Nahanni Airways happened at approximately 1:20 p.m., said Nahanni Butte senior administrative officer Raymond Kaslak.
The crash occurred after the six-seater aircraft experienced engine failure just after take-off, according to the airway's president, Laverna Martel-Harvey.
"(The pilot) was forced to do an emergency forced landing, just like he was taught to avoid any fatalities," said Martel-Harvey. "We're really fortunate everyone is OK."
South Nahanni Airway's sister airline, Wolverine Air, also experienced an engine failure-related accident after taking off from Nahanni Butte less than two years ago.
The pilot and co-pilot of the Piper Navajo aircraft were forced to land 17.5 nautical miles short of their destination in Fort Simpson after both engines quit during flight on Nov. 23, 2016. Fuel starvation was the suspected cause of the mishap.
Passengers aboard the crashed Cessna were picked up by emergency crews from Yellowknife. All patients were on medevac flights heading to Stanton Territorial Hospital, said Damien Healy.
Nahanni Butte Community foreman Eric Betsaka said the passengers on the plane were employees of the territorial government in town to "do an inspection."
-30-
