Open in full screen mode The Diavik diamond mine is located in approximately 300 kilometers from Yellowknife. (Archive photo) Radio-Canada A Twin Otter plane carrying eight passengers and two crew members on an Air Tindi charter flight crashed about 300 km northeast of Yellowknife around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday , local hour. The crew reported only minor injuries, according to Chris Reynolds, president of Air Tindi, the airline based in the Northwest Territories. Military rescue and search teams were sent to the location where the passengers and crew were sheltering, according to Chris Reynolds. He adds that Air Tindi planes also attempted to reach the group. At 7 p.m. local, Chris Reynolds added that the army will try to parachute two rescuers in the evening. We were taken by surprise. There was no sign that this was going to happen. “We're just not sure what happened,” Reynolds said, adding that they are focusing on getting everyone back safely. < p class="StyledBodyHtmlParagraph-sc-48221190-4 hnvfyV">Air Tindi is a company specializing in flights to remote areas of the Far North since 1988. Its fleet includes six Twin Otter aircraft and several other models different. The company operates daily scheduled flights, air ambulance services and charter flights for tourists or people working for mines and the government.
The seat of Air Tindi in Yellowknife. (Archive photo)
Chris Reynolds says the plane, which was on skis, crashed in the area of the Diavik diamond mine camp, but that the plane was not carrying any passengers to or from from the camp. He assures that the passengers and crew are being tracked by satellite and that another plane was able to fly over the area and see them.
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We are not sure at the moment if they will have to spend the night, but they are there- down in a shelter near the plane […] The weather is rather bad and there is blowing snow. The winds are very strong up there, so it hampers access to the plane, but we are working on it at the moment.
A quote from Chris Reynolds, President, Air Tindi
Chris Reynolds specifies that he did not see the crash site, and did not give more details information about the crash itself. When the group is reached, they will be repatriated to Yellowknife where those with injuries will be treated.
CBC News has contacted the Department of National Defense and the Joint Rescue Coordination Center for more information.
With information from Tessa Vikander