Yellowknife (Jan 05/07) - Three people were found dead and one seriously injured after an air search team located a crashed Cessna 185 ski-plane near Blachford Lake yesterday afternoon.

The Arctic Sunwest Charters plane was reported missing Wednesday at 3:10 p.m. after the pilot radioed back to base in Yellowknife, saying he was making a "precautionary landing" due to bad weather and poor visibility, according to Capt. Antonio Luberto with CFB Trenton Rescue Coordination Centre in Ontario.

It is understood that there were three employees of Blachford Lake Lodge on board, who were en-route to open the lodge for the winter season, said Luberto.

The plane was found about 3.2km east of the lodge at around 10:15 a.m. yesterday by a Hercules aircraft search crew.

Two Hercules aircrafts, a Griffon helicopter from Cold Lake, Alberta, and an Arctic Sunwest Beaver aircraft all took part in the search.

Two search and rescue technicians parachuted into the area early Thursday afternoon. A civilian helicopter flew the injured man to Stanton Territorial Hospital Thursday afternoon, said Sgt. Ron Dimock, also with CFB Trenton.

The fuselage was still intact, but it was apparent the plane hit the ground with considerable force, said Capt. Wayne Sinker, with CFB Trenton.

"The plane went down hard," said Sinker.

"It wasn't a crumpled mess but it was a crash. From what I've heard, it wasn't on the lake but very close to the shoreline."

The lodge, located on the west side of the lake, is about a 20-minute flight and 90km southeast of Yellowknife.

It is owned by Yellowknife resident Mike Freeland, who was not on the plane, according to a person who answered the phone yesterday at the lodge's Yellowknife office.

"Three of the people were long-time employees here," said a woman who declined to give her name. "Mike wasn't on the plane. In fact he is now at the hospital with the injured man."

She couldn't say whether the injured man was one of the three Blachford employees or the pilot.

Blachford Lake Lodge has been operating as a Yellowknife tourism fixture for over 20 years, offering snowmobiling, dog sledding, and tours of the northern lights in the winter.

Mary Delaney, a spokesperson for Arctic Sunwest Charters, said she also could not confirm who survived the crash.

"We don't have that information right now," she said. "We're still in the investigation stage."

The plane was one of 13 in the Arctic Sunwest fleet.

Cathy Menard, NWT deputy chief coroner, said chief coroner Percy Kinney was at the scene of the crash most of Thursday afternoon but was on his way back to Yellowknife at 4 p.m. due to the failing light.

She said the bodies would not be brought from the scene until sometime today.

"The names probably won't be released until tomorrow," she said Thursday. "They have to get back to the site on Friday, identify the bodies and notify the next-of-kin before the names are released."

The only official government statement as of press time Thursday, was made by Lawrence Cannon, federal minister of Transport.

"On behalf of the government of Canada, I would first like to convey my condolences to the families of those killed in this tragic accident," he said in a statement.

He also said in his statement that he will be following the safety investigation closely.

"Transport Canada has appointed a minister's observer, who will keep me informed of the investigation's progress."