Reported Peggy’s Cove plane crash prompts emergency search, nothing found
Posted Mar 2, 2016 06:00:37 AM.
Last Updated Mar 2, 2016 06:11:45 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – A reported plane crash off of Peggy’s Cove on Tuesday night led to an extensive search of an area around Terence Bay, N.S., but it turned out to be a false alarm.
A resident called 911 just after 6 p.m. Tuesday and reported a plane had been downed in the area, which prompted a massive emergency response from Halifax RCMP, Halifax Regional Fire, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax and the Canadian Coast Guard.
HMCS Halifax, a cormorant helicopter, Coast Guard Ship Sambro and second coast guard vessel were deployed to the area to aid in the search, which was called off after about an hour.
Captain Cameron Hillier, public affairs officer with Joint Task Force Atlantic, said that early in the search, crews were informed by Air Traffic Control that no aircraft were reported overdue or missing.
Cpt. Hillier said with that in mind, the search continued for about an hour before being called off just before 10 p.m., with no additional emergency reports or 911 calls noted, no additional witness statements and no emergency distress beacons or debris noticed by crews in the area.
“The decision was made to stand all assets down and discontinue the search,” Hillier said, who called the type of call is particulary rare.
“Certainly, if you’ve got a downed aircraft, one would think much more than one person would see it…there would be a significant number of signs.”
