Britons killed in Canada plane crash 'were family on last day of trip'

Wreckage: the aftermath of the crash in Quebec
Reuters/Transportation Safety Board of Canada

The four Britons killed in an air crash in Canada were a family on the last day of their sightseeing trip, it was revealed today.

The parents, both 40, and their two teenage daughters, aged 14 and 17, died when their light aircraft crashed into a mountainside 12 miles from Tadoussac in Quebec province, where they were staying.

The family, who have not yet been named, were killed along with 28-year-old French tourist Emilie Delaitre and pilot Romain Desrosiers.

Local newspaper the Journal of Quebec said the British family had booked into their hotel for three nights and were due to leave on Monday, but were killed in the crash on Sunday afternoon.

Canadian authorities have warned that the investigation into what caused the accident could take some time as thick fog is continuing to hamper recovery efforts at the scene.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond offered his condolences to relatives of the crash victims.

He said: “This terrible incident has taken the lives of all on board, including four British nationals. My thoughts and sympathy are with their family and friends at this difficult time.

“Our High Commission in Ottawa is in close contact with the Canadian authorities and we are providing consular assistance to the relatives of those who were killed.”

A picture on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s website shows the wreckage of the red and white Beaver aircraft on a rock edge next to thick woodland. The plane, operated by Air Saguenay, had taken off from Lac Long in Tadoussac on the routine sightseeing flight.

An Air Saguenay official said the flight was supposed to last 20 minutes and flying conditions at the time were “excellent”. Although the weather was good when the flight took place, cloud and rain later significantly affected efforts to access the steep and densely wooded area.

Police said the bodies of all six victims had been found, as investigators from the Transportation Safety Board were sent to the scene.The bodies were moved to a laboratory yesterday for forensic tests.

Ms Delaitre was visiting Canada with her aunt and uncle, who did not board the plane with her, according to the French consulate. Her brother Henri Delaitre Seghetti paid tribute to his sister, writing online: “One more angel flying in the sky.”

Safety Board spokesman Jean-Marc Ledoux, said it would be some while before the cause of the crash is known.

He added: “We’re taking the time to conduct a thorough investigation, and because it was a smaller plane there was no flight data record, which will obviously make matters more difficult.

“There will always be different factors that contribute to these incidents, and it is always hard to say how long these investigations will take.”

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