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HAY RIVER - The lone passenger aboard a plane that crashed and killed its pilot near Fort Liard on Thursday directed rescuers to the wreckage via satellite phone.

The small single-engine aircraft, a Piper Cub model PA 18 owned by Nahanni Butte Outfitters, crashed at roughly 4:30 p.m. into tall trees about 90 km from Fort Liard, 50 metres from the shore of Jackfish Lake.

Pilot Cam Lancaster, an Alberta-based co-owner of Nahanni Butte Outfitters hunting guide operation, was pronounced dead in Nahanni Butte by a doctor from Fort Simpson.

The surviving passenger, Chris Meshue, had only minor injuries. Meshue used the aircraft's satellite phone to call the Outfitters, who helped co-ordinate the search and rescue mission.

Lance White, Fort Liard base manager of Deh Cho Regional Helicopters, found the crash site in roughly 30 minutes and extracted an unconscious Lancaster from the wreckage. White said Meshue helped direct him to the scene of the crash.

"He did an exceptionally good job," he said. "For a young kid of about 19, he did really well."

White got authorization to perform the rescue mission from a Canadian Armed Forces search and rescue base in Trenton, Ont. The base also sent a Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg, which didn't arrive on scene before the rescue was complete.

Fort Liard RCMP arrived on scene and are still investigating.