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Leaders react to tragedy Infant dead after Dec. 22 plane crash in Sanikiluaq
Peter Worden
"I am deeply saddened by this tragic event just days before Christmas," stated Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Terry Audla in a press release. "My thoughts and prayers are with the community. This is a time for us to come together as Inuit, to support one another and provide comfort in any way we can." Premier Eva Aariak also offered her condolences to the victims in a press release. "During this holiday season, my thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the infant whose life ended far too soon, to the survivors, and to the entire community of Sanikiluaq," stated Aariak. Charter flight 671, which left Winnipeg Saturday afternoon, crashed close to the end of the runway, south of the Sanikiluaq airport around 6 p.m. after aborting a landing, according to the police. RCMP in the hamlet responded to the crash and accounted for all aboard the flight. Seven passengers, a pilot and co-pilot were in the Fairchild Metro 3/23 twin-engine turboprop aircraft chartered by Kivalliq Air – a division of Keewatin Air – and operated by Perimeter Aviation LP, according to RCMP. Perimeter is a Manitoba-owned company and the largest independent passenger airline in the province. It currently operates 34 aircraft throughout Manitoba and offers charter services to any destination in North America. Keewatin Air schedules three trips a week between Winnipeg and Sanikiluaq. The Transportation Safety Board, Nunavut Coroner's Office and RCMP are investigating the crash. The aircraft can carry up to 19 passengers and Perimeter's company website says it "has proven to be a safe, reliable, and efficient commuter aircraft … capable of flying above bad weather." Presently it is not known if poor weather was a factor in the crash.
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