Northwestern Air Flight 738
Wreckage of the aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 January 2024 |
| Summary | Mechanical failure and pilot error leading to Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | |
| Aircraft | |
| C-FNAA, the aircraft involved in the accident seen in 2020 | |
| Aircraft type | British Aerospace Jetstream 32 |
| Operator | Northwestern Air |
| IATA flight No. | J3738 |
| ICAO flight No. | PLR738 |
| Call sign | POLARIS 738 |
| Registration | C-FNAA |
| Flight origin | Fort Smith Airport |
| Destination | Diavik Diamond Mine Airport |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 6 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
On 23 January 2024, Northwestern Air Flight 738, a British Aerospace Jetstream, was chartered by the Rio Tinto Group to carry mine workers from Fort Smith to the Diavik Diamond Mine, located around 300 km (190 mi) northeast of Yellowknife. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, 1,200 m (3,900 ft) from the runway near Fort Smith Airport, killing six of the seven passengers and crew. The only survivor was taken to the Fort Smith Health Centre and was later airlifted to the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife for further treatment.