LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - A pilot and her two passengers came away from a plane crash uninjured in Fort Simpson on Jan. 28.

The Simpson Air pilot along with passengers Mavis Wasp-Colin and her four-year-old daughter McKayla were flying in a Cessna 206 from Trout Lake to the airstrip in Fort Simpson when the crash occurred, according to a press release from the Department of Transportation. Wasp-Colin, who works for the Dehcho First Nations, was coming to the village to participate in the special assembly.

A RCMP vehicle pulls away from the NAV Canada VOR site in Fort Simpson where a Simpson Air plane crash- landed on Jan. 28. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The plane crashed at approximately 10:55 a.m. at NAV Canada's very high frequency omni-directional radio range (VOR) just two kilometres short of the main airport. Within a minute of landing the pilot used the plane's radio to contact the Community Aerodrome Radio Station (CARS) in Fort Simpson and indicated that everyone on board was safe.

Fort Simpson RCMP, volunteer firefighters and airport staff responded while pilots from Canadian Helicopters, Great Slave Helicopters and Wolverine Air began an aerial search to locate the crash site.

After approximately half an hour the site was located and a Great Slave helicopter picked up the pilot and passengers and transported them to the community health centre. All three were treated for the effects of the cold but were otherwise uninjured, according to transportation officials.

The plane landed at the periphery of the VOR site, just inside of the tree line, according the Michel Lafrance, the regional superintendent of transportation.

A debriefing on the response to the crash was held on Monday afternoon.

"In general people walked away satisfied with the response," said Lafrance.

Lafrance gave partial credit for the successful response to the live emergency response exercise that was held in the village on Sept. 13. The exercise was based on the response to a simulated plane crash.

"I think our exercise in the fall helped out," Lafrance said.

An employee for Simpson Air said the company is not commenting on the incident at this point.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is conducting an investigation into the crash.