Transport Canada will be reviewing the flight black box to determine the cause of the crash
By Maryam Razzaq
On Monday evening a twin-engine Rockwell Aero Commander 690 B crashed shortly after takeoff around 9:12pm. The plane was on its way to Dryden, Ontario before it crashed at the local airport.
President and CEO of the Thunder Bay Airport authority confirmed the death of the pilot just before 2 a.m. early Tuesday morning.
The thick smoke from the crash site could be seen kilometres away, and social media flooded with images depicting the flames. Thunder Bay Police, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue and Superior North EMS crews were the first responders to the crash site. All flights scheduled for arrival at the airport were re-routed to alternate locations such as Toronto international airport and Sioux Lookout.
At least two Air Canada flights from Toronto scheduled to land in Thunder Bay were also rerouted after their takeoff. In addition to this, Wasaya Airways announced the cancellation of one flight scheduled to depart from Sioux Lookout which left 37 passengers stranded. Westjet cancelled their WJA3219 flight. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been dispatched to the crash site to lead the investigation.
The plane was registered with the MAG Aerospace in Dryden, Ontario. According to their website, they are an industry leader in providing aviation services and have been active in Canada’s aviation industry for over 65 years, specializing in a range of services including Aerial Fire Management, Airborne Imagery, Air Charter and Flight Training.
Individuals flying today can visit their airline or the Thunder Bay Airport website for flight arrival and departure information.
The cause of the crash is unknown at the time. More details will be released upon completion of the investigation.
