Hunter discovers quarter-century old plane wreckage near Kamloops

A hunter in the Kamloops area stumbled upon a two-decade old plane wreck earlier this month.

The hunter spotted the plane in the Knouff Lake area on Nov. 3. When Barriere RCMP later got to the scene, investigators estimated the wreckage to be 20 to 25 years old.

All that was there was a fuselage. It had no wings, doors, propellers or engine, according to BC RCMP spokesperson Cpl. James Grandy.

According to the report, the hunter notified the Kamloops flight information centre sometime after finding the downed plane.

Police also notified search and rescue crews, along with the Transportation Safety Board after the discovery.

It was first publicly reported by Transport Canada on Nov. 14. A Transportation Safety Board spokesperson confirmed the report in a Nov. 15 emailed response.

Transport Canada spokesperson Hugo Fontaine said the agency has been in contact with RCMP since the learning of the wreckage.

"We have not identified which aircraft it was, and we are in contact with various sources to identify it," he said.

There was no registration number on the plane and no one was found inside.

— This story was updated with information from the Transportation Safety Board at 10:07 a.m., Nov. 15, 2023.

— This story was updated with information about the plane and its location from BC RCMP at 2:24 p.m. and 3:44 p.m., Nov. 15, 2023.


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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.