Missing plane found in northwestern Ontario, both occupants killed

Officials with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre say they have found the wreck of a Cessna 208 aircraft that was reported missing, ending a five-day aerial search over a remote region of northwestern Ontario.

Both occupants in the plane died before search-and-rescue technicians arrived on the scene. Their names have not been released.

The plane was reported missing on Tuesday. It was flying a route between Nakina, Ont. — roughly 345 kilometres north of Thunder Bay — and Eabametoong First Nation.

The search was challenging due to the remote nature of the region where the plane went down. The region is rugged, with snow, trees and valleys that made it difficult to find the aircraft.

The missing plane was discovered in an area south of Chaucer Lake, Ont., on Saturday morning, officials said in a news release issued later in the day.

WATCH | Coast guard helicopter joins the search for missing aircraft: 

Coast Guard helicopter takes off to assist in search for downed plane

Search and rescue crews are looking for a small plane that had two people on board, and went missing in a remote part of northern Ontario

The search involved five Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, helicopters from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources, the Canadian Coast Guard and the Ontario Provincial Police, and two aircraft operated by the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association. 

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will investigate the reasons why the plane crashed.