Yukon premier 'deeply saddened' by plane crash that killed two, including Vancouver woman
Credit to Author: The Canadian Press| Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2019 22:00:24 +0000
WHITEHORSE — Yukon Premier Sandy Silver is offering his government’s condolences to the territory’s aviation and mining communities in the wake of Tuesday’s fatal plane crash.
A small plane operated by Alkan Air had just taken off from the Rackla gold project site near Mayo Lake when it crashed, killing both people aboard.
The Yukon coroner says the pilot of the Cessna 208 Caravan has been identified as 24-year-old Shawn Kitchen of Whitehorse and the passenger was 33-year-old Julia Lane of Vancouver.
The Transportation Safety Board says two investigators will be sent from Edmonton Thursday while the coroner and Mayo RCMP continue their investigations.
Board spokesman Alex Fournier says the plane hit the side of a mountain on the north side of the lake, almost 500 kilometres north of Whitehorse.
A statement from Alkan Air says it’s a heartbreaking time for the company, while Silver says the aviation and mining communities have suffered “an immeasurable loss.”
“We will provide all the support necessary to help the investigation into the cause of this accident, and work with our partners across the territory to prevent a similar event from happening in the future,” Silver says in a statement.
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