Plane passengers’ rescue relied on flares
25/01/2024
The rescue of 10 passengers on a downed plane in the Northwest Territories, Canada, relied on flares to help aircrew parachute down.
The Air Tindi Twin Otter float plane, carrying two pilots and eight passengers, crashed near the Diavik Diamond Mine. It was trying to land on a lake.
Royal Canadian Air Force members from Winnipeg were asked by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, to help one day in late December.
They flew a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130H Hercules to the crash site. But high winds and blowing snow resulted in low visibility and the rescue had to be delayed until the following morning. However, crew members parachuted down food, survival equipment and supplies for the night.
To aid the parachute crew landing, crew members dropped flares around the crash site from different levels in the sky, illuminating the entire jump so they could see when to land.
The image of the Twin Otter float plane is by Steve Knight on Flickr.
Source: OHSCanada.com
