Friday, April 22, 2005 · Last updated 3:50 p.m. PT

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COMOX, British Columbia -- Two pilots died when a small cargo plane crashed Friday as it tried to make an emergency landing at Canadian Forces Base Comox on Vancouver Island.

Bill Yearwood, a spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board, said it appeared that an engine fire aboard the twin-engine Piper Navaho may have caused the fatal accident. The names of the pilots were not immediately released.

The Transportation Safety Board, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canadian Forces were investigating the crash. The airport is used by both military and civilian aircraft.

Authorities say the plane came down just short of the runway around 7:30 a.m.

Last updated Apr 22 2005 07:21 PM PDT
CBC News

COMOX, B.C. – A small twin-engine cargo plane crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at CFB Comox on Friday morning, killing both pilots.

Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Bill Yearwood says it appears an engine fire aboard the Piper Navaho may have caused the fatal accident.

"The pilots did declare an emergency with an engine fire," he says.

"And our investigators on site did tell me that the fire damage is predominantly on the right side of the aircraft. So we believe that would've been the right engine fire."

The pilots' names have not been released.

The plane was operated by Victoria-based Nav Air. The charter company's Glenn Kerr says other employees are trying to cope with the tragedy.

"The mood is pretty sombre here," he says. "And as you can imagine, a crash or incident of any nature is tough to deal with, and we're doing the best we can to get through the day."

The Transportation Safety Board, the RCMP and Canadian Forces are all conducting investigations into the crash.