A pilot suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a plane crash in northern Manitoba Thursday morning.
Around 9:30 a.m., a Beech 95-55 plane was returning to Thompson from Thicket Portage when the aircraft experienced electrical problems, said an official with the Transportation Safety Board.
The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the plane, tried to divert the aircraft to Pikwitonei, southeast of Thompson, but it crashed east of the community's airport, said Peter Hildebrand of the TSB. The plane sustained significant damage.
The plane had previously dropped off passengers at Thicket Portage and had experienced some electrical problems at the time.
Officials with the Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
A pilot has survived the crash of his small plane in northern Manitoba after calling the airport in Thompson on his cellphone.
The man, who was the only person on board, was picked up by a helicopter and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
A Canadian Forces search and rescue official says the pilot was returning to Thompson Thursday morning when he called the tower to report the Beech Baron he was flying had suffered a complete electrical failure.
Using his cellphone, the pilot said he was about 10 minutes from the airfield, but the twin-engine plane crashed soon after.
The military dispatched a Hercules search aircraft and civilian helicopter with a paramedic on board.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it has sent a team to investigate the crash.
Thompson is located 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
Owner: CENTRAL FLYWAY AIR INC. - VENTURE AIR
Operator: VENTURE AIR (15012)
Operator Type: Commercial
Event InformationAircraft navigation/communication equipment
Collision with terrain
ELT/SAR/comm search
Detail InformationUser Name: Ridley, Rod
Date: 2010-05-13
Further Action Required: No
O.P.I.: System Safety
Narrative: At approximately 1425z (0925 CDT), the pilot of a Venture Air Beech 55, registration C-FBJA, flying on a company note to Thompson, called Winnipeg Flight Information Centre (FIC) by cell phone to report that he had lost radio and transponder communications. The aircraft was inbound to the Thompson airport with an estimated time of arrival of 9 minutes but by 1615z (1115 CDT) had not arrived. Search and Rescue reported receiving a hit on a 911 cell phone call and dispatched a helicopter to the lat and long co-ordinates. The aircraft was subsequently found near the Pikwitonei airstrip and the pilot, who was the sole occupant, was picked up and transported to hospital as a precaution; he reportedly had no injuries but the aircraft has substantial damage. TSB Winnipeg is sending 3 investigators to the site to examine the aircraft; class of investigation is being assessed.
