Two Dead After Small Plane Crashes on Mount McDougall in Kananaskis

Two people are dead after a small aircraft crashed on Mount McDougall in Kananaskis.

Cochrane RCMP and Kananaskis emergency crews were called to the incident at approximately 9:20 a.m. on Sept. 5, according to Cpl. Mathew Howell, a public information officer with the RCMP.

Howell confirmed two people aboard the aircraft were killed.

Their bodies have not yet been recovered as of Sept. 6.

The aircraft was a smaller plane, Howell said, though RCMP did not have details on the specific aircraft or the nature of the flight.

The crash occurred on Mount McDougall, a 2,726-metre peak east of Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country. The mountain sits in rugged terrain near Old Baldy Mountain and is part of a series of peaks sometimes linked together by experienced scramblers in a route known as the “Big Traverse.”

Weather conditions in the area were poor during the morning.

According to Environment Canada, conditions included low cloud and overcast skies throughout the morning, with temperatures hovering around 8 to 9 C and winds generally between 15 and 22 km/h. By 11:37 a.m., light rain was being reported.

Those observations were recorded at lower elevation and do not necessarily reflect conditions at the crash site higher on Mount McDougall.

RCMP have not released the identities of the two people killed.

Howell said RCMP will continue to assist as needed, but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation into the crash.

The TSB investigates aviation accidents to determine what happened and identify contributing factors and safety risks.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.