Transportation Safety Board begins investigation into plane crash that left six dead in Alberta

The Transportation Safety Board has started its investigation into the cause of a small plane crash that left six people dead in the Rockies west of Calgary.

Spokesman Liam MacDonald says a team of investigators arrived in the area late Saturday and began its work this morning.

RCMP have said the plane with a pilot and five passengers aboard took off from Springbank Airport, just west of the city, on Friday night and was headed to Salmon Arm, B.C.

Their names have not been released, but police have said that all the people on board were on their way to a church function.

The plane, which was a single-engine Piper PA-32, was reported overdue by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ont., and police say the centre contacted them about the plane at 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Police say a Winnipeg-based Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules plane was dispatched to look for the missing aircraft and located it in Kananaskis Country, a mountainous area west of Calgary, by honing in on an emergency locator transmitter.

Searchers with Alberta Parks mountain rescue responded with Alpine Helicopters and a Comox-based RCAF CH-149 Cormorant from the 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron.

All six bodies were recovered Saturday from what police said was “difficult terrain.”