Pilot Survives Crash Landing Near Island Lake

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The pilot of a commercial Cessna plane, which had no passengers aboard, has survived a crash landing near Island Lake on Wednesday afternoon. The RCMP were alerted about the situation a little after 3 p.m., when an aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter was activated in the area. RCMP attended the emergency call by responding with a vehicle, helicopter and snowmobiles. The 26-year-old pilot was discovered soon and shifted to Garden Hill nursing station for treatment of minor injuries.

The 1973 Cessna 207, that operated out of Sandy Lake, Ontario, was discovered by the RCMP searchers on snowmobile near Island Lake, almost two miles off the winter road. A representative of The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, Peter Hildebrand, alleged that pilot crashed the plane onto the ice because he ran into white out conditions right after takeoff. Hildebrand shared that “there was damage to the front wheel and the propeller was bent.” Whereas, talking about the pilot, he said that “we’re not listing him as injured at all. He’s back at work today.” Additionally, Hildebrand revealed that the TSB has been granted authorization to tow the plane off the ice for being repaired. Hildrebrand explained the reason behind the accident, saying that “it was a visibility thing.”

A band councillor at the Garden Hill First Nation, Cuthbert Munroe, said the pilot himself went for help. Munroe alleged that “he walked away from it and walked to the main winter road,” after which “he was taken to the nursing station, but he’s okay. It was a total whiteout for a brief time. Ten centimetres of snow fell.”