Update - March 18th, 2015 7:20pm - OPP says that on March 18, 2015 at approximately 8:44 am the Joint Rescue Coordinator Centre (JRCC) located the plane which was in a desolate rugged terrain near the mouth of the French and Pickerel Rivers within the French River Provincial Park area. A member of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Emergency Response Team (ERT) was airlifted to the crash site by the Canadian Coast Guard helicopter. Confirmation was then ascertained that is was the plane which had been reported in distress shortly before 4 pm on March 17, 2015. Three bodies were also confirmed to be at the location of the crash scene. The identities will not be confirmed until after post mortem has been completed.
The crash site is approximately 25 kilometres west of the Henvey Inlet First Nations where the OPP have set up their temporary Command Post. This location is being utilized to facilitate the flying in of OPP members, Transport Safety Board and the Regional Coroner for investigative purposes.
More information will be provided as the investigation continues.
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Update - March 18th, 2015 4:00pm: OPP confirm that the three occupants of the missing plane are deceased. OPP have not released the names of the people on board. We will release the information once we receive confirmation that the families has been notified.
Our condolences to friends and family of the deceased.
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Update - March 18th, 2015 10:00am: OPP say that they have located a plane about 45 km west of Pointe au Baril though they can not confirm that this is the plane they looking for.
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(Sudbury ON) The search for a missing Piper plane and it's three occupants continues this morning after an all night search by the OPP and Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
The pilot and two passengers left Sudbury and we're reportedly destined for the United States.
The OPP were advised around 4pm yesterday that the plane had experienced engine problems about 20 km south of Sudbury and 18 km west of the Key River. The pilot was forced to make and emergency landing and radio communications was lost.
Approximately 4:00am this morning JRCC began dropping flares to aid in the search but were unsuccessful in locating the missing plane. As the search continues this morning they will begin searching the area from Pickle Lake to Killarney.
The Transport Canada Safety Board has been notified and will be assisting in the investigation.