RCMP plane crashes at Whitehorse airport, 1 person injured
Airport was temporarily closed after crash happened at about 11:40 a.m.
One person was injured after an RCMP plane crashed at the Whitehorse airport on Monday morning.
Police said in a news release that it happened at about 11:40 a.m. The aircraft is a Pilatus PC-12, according to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB).
The injured person was the only one on board the plane, police said.
"The employee who was involved is a special constable," said Const. Carlie McCann of the Whitehorse RCMP.
"They were extracted safely thanks to assistance from the fire department at the Whitehorse airport and were treated for injuries."
McCann explained the pilot was part of RCMP's air services, which transports anything from people to evidence, usually to and from remote detachments.
"Pilots in the RCMP air services unit are special constables, so that means that they have many of the same powers as police officers in terms of the skills and the training that they have," said McCann.
"They're not going to be police officers who are out investigating files or arresting people or doing traffic stops, but they're using their specific flying skills to serve communities."
The news release says police do not believe that criminality was involved in the crash.
The TSB will lead the investigation, RCMP said, and police will be assisting.
A spokesperson for the TSB said in an email that the agency is making travel arrangements to deploy a team of investigators to the site.
A spokesperson with Yukon Highways and Public Works, Carla Bohman, said the airport was closed for about 40 minutes as emergency officials responded to the incident.
Bohman declined to say whether the crash occurred during landing or takeoff.
No other details have been released.