Two sent to hospital with serious injuries after plane crash near Labrador airport

A civilian plane crashed near the Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay airport, in Labrador, on Dec. 14, 2022. (Google Maps)

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -

Two people with serious injuries were airlifted to hospital Wednesday after their small plane crashed near the airport in the Labrador town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The man and woman were the only occupants of a Piper PA-46 Malibu plane that crashed about five kilometres from the airport on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The pair were from outside the country and they required "urgent medical care," said a news release from the Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP. The Mounties were first notified about the crash at around 10:30 a.m.

The plane crashed on property that is part of a Canadian Armed Forces base known as 5 Wing Goose Bay, said Capt. Nicole Morrison, a spokesperson for the base. The base dispatched its helicopter squadron to provide help, and the pair were taken by helicopter to an ambulance waiting near the local hospital, Morrison said in an email.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, they were still receiving care at the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, police said.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it is sending a team of investigators to examine what happened.

The Piper PA-46 Malibu is a light, single-engine aircraft with seats for a pilot and five passengers, according to aviation website airliners.net. The planes are about 8.7 metres long with a wingspan of about 13 metres.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2022.