Plane crashes in northern Saskatchewan with 25 people on board, no fatalities

RCMP say all 25 people who were on board a plane that crashed in northern Saskatchewan Wednesday night have been safely removed from the crash site. (Google Maps)

FOND DU LAC, Sask.—RCMP say all 25 people who were on board a plane that crashed in northern Saskatchewan Wednesday night have been safely removed from the crash site.

There were no fatalities.

“There was no explosion or fire,” police said in a release. “A number of people have suffered injuries — some serious enough to require air ambulance services which are currently en route.”

Police said the plane crashed shortly after taking off around 6:15 p.m. at the Fond du Lac airport.

Mounties said the aircraft went down about one kilometre from the airstrip.

Emergency first responders helped the 22 passengers and three crew members. One of the passengers is an infant.

Rick Philipenko, a spokesman for Saskatoon-based West Wind Aviation, confirmed it was one of the company’s planes that crashed, a two-engine ATR 42 turbo prop.

The plane was en route to Stony Rapids on a regularly scheduled flight when it crashed.

“The primary concern for us right now is making sure that the passengers and crew are looked after,” he said.

A picture of the crash site posted on social media shows the damaged aircraft partly on its side in the trees with a wing jutting up in the air at a 45-degree angle as people search the plane.

The Royal Canadian Air Force said it has sent a Hercules transport aircraft and a helicopter to help.

The Transportation Safety Board said a team of investigators will arrive in Fond du Lac Thursday.

Fond du Lac is a remote mainly Dene community located on the east side of Lake Athabasca.