Fire limits plane crash probe

Blaze making access to Alberta site difficult for investigators

COLD LAKE, ALTA. — Police say wildfire conditions at the scene of the crash of a firefighting plane in northern Alberta are making it difficult for investigators to reach the site.

Mounties say the site is inside the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, an area used by military pilots for weapons training.

RCMP Cpl. Mike Dunsmore said the military and search and rescue personnel escorted police into the crash site late Friday and helped recover the body of the 38-yearold civilian pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft.

But Dunsmore said the fire, which the province reported Saturday has grown to 4,000 hectares since it started a day earlier, is making it challenging for Transportation Safety Board investigators to safely enter the area.

Jon Lee, the regional manager for the TSB, said investigators were headed to the site in a helicopter on Saturday afternoon with a provincial wildfire official to see if it would be safe to land.

“If it is, they’ll set down. If not, they’ll reassess,” said Lee, noting the decision would be up to the provincial official.

Crews in northern Alberta have been fighting wildfires for more than a week, and warm and dry conditions have increased the fire hazard to high or extreme in some areas.

The pilot who was killed worked for Conair Aerial Firefighting, and he and the plane were contracted by the Alberta government.

Lee said the crash investigation was still in the early stages and the TSB regional manager couldn’t speculate on the cause.