The pilot of a small plane that crashed near the Canadian town of Faro, Yukon recalled the moment the ultralight aircraft hit an SA国际影视传媒渋mmense downdraft or a windshearSA国际影视传媒� that caused it to lose altitude and flip before striking the treeline and colliding with the snowy ground on Jan. 26, 2025.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was doing my best to recover from the way the wind positioned us,SA国际影视传媒� Matthew Carpenter said by phone on Feb. 11, 2025.
SA国际影视传媒淏ut at that point I didn't have enough altitude, so we, you know, hit the trees pretty abruptly.SA国际影视传媒�
Carpenter is the pilot of the Chinook Plus 2 that crashed. He reached out to the News to share his account of what happened when the plane went down and his gratitude for the U.S. military from Anchorage, Alaska and Canadian search-and-rescue teams that rescued him and his passenger.
Most of his life has been spent living in the Yukon. He grew up on a trapline along the Macmilllan River.
As a self-described Yukoner with many different skills including trapping, outfitting and building, for years Carpenter has worked for Macmillan River Adventures, a hunting outfitter company that he said Donald Trump Jr. SA国际影视传媒� the son of U.S. President Donald Trump SA国际影视传媒� has invested in as a part owner.
Carpenter was not working for the company at the time of the flight.
He made the trip out with his friend on Jan. 25, 2025. The two had planned to return the following day.
They spent the day out preparing for the trapping season, as Carpenter said he does every winter.
Carpenter described the next day as having calm weather before takeoff SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渘ot even a breath of wind.SA国际影视传媒� He had flown in and out many times. The plane was built for landing on deep snow conditions, he said.
At approximately 4 p.m., while flying in a valley about three-quarters of the way back to Faro, the plane started encountering turbulence, he said. That is when the wind flipped it upside down. Carpenter tried to recover the plane, but by that time, they were too low, and the plane hit the trees before crashing into the ground.
His passenger was not too badly hurt, but CarpenterSA国际影视传媒檚 leg was seriously injured. A self-assessment at the time determined it was broken in multiple places.
Carpenter explained how the two men have learned to be resourceful while spending lots of time in the bush prior to this recent journey.
His friend helped create a splint for his leg. Then he constructed a shelter out of the planeSA国际影视传媒檚 wing covers, used a small electric chainsaw to cut firewood and got a fire going. They had food, warm clothes and something to melt water in on-hand.
By then, Carpenter had activated SOS on his inReach, a satellite communication device that allows users to send messages and share their location when out of cell phone service zones.
SA国际影视传媒淲e started receiving responses from that which was really encouraging,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
The stranded men were notified that the search-and-rescue effort was going to be a multinational response, depending on whether the American or Canadian authorities could most practically respond the quickest, per Carpenter.
But they soon realized they would not be saved before sunset as the darkness set in.
Carpenter described it as a painful night, but his friendSA国际影视传媒檚 support made him feel as comfortable as possible.
About 10 hours after soaring into the trees and smashing into the snow-covered earth, they heard a helicopter off in the distance. The chopper dropped in very professionally, Carpenter added. In fact, it was a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk from Alaska. These types of helicopters can make day or night recovery operations in hostile environments, according to a United States Air Force fact sheet.
In the meantime, Yukon from the local police detachment and Yukon conservation officers arrived just in time to carry his stretcher down the mountain to a place where the military helicopter could land to in turn get them out of there.
Carpenter commented on the Canadian authorities joining the U.S. responders involved in the operation.
SA国际影视传媒淚t complemented the other response very well,SA国际影视传媒� Carpenter said.
Corporal Bayden Austring, the detachment commander of the Ross River-Faro , said police received an SOS activation after the plane crash. He was off duty when he got the call from his colleague about one person SA国际影视传媒渃ritically injured.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭he first thought was I knew it was going to be a long night, given the location and that there were survivors,SA国际影视传媒� Austring said.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was a no-turning-back situation.SA国际影视传媒�
The crash was believed to have taken place near Faro, based on the GPS coordinates SA国际影视传媒� latitude 62.38639 and longitude -133.64958 SA国际影视传媒� transmitted through CarpenterSA国际影视传媒檚 satellite communicator.
SA国际影视传媒淭hankfully, inReach devices are almost pinpoint accurate,SA国际影视传媒� Austring said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e knew exactly where they were and were able to make a plan from there.SA国际影视传媒�
The fallen aircraftSA国际影视传媒檚 transponder did not go off upon impact or by being manually activated. Austring indicated that the system going off would typically signal a potential emergency to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
notified Joint Rescue Coordination Centre-Victoria (JRCC-Victoria) about an ultralight aircraft crash near Faro at 4:13 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2025.
connected with Yukon conservation officers before taking off as a group of five SA国际影视传媒� three officers and two conservation officers SA国际影视传媒� on snow machines to assist with the air rescue. Austring, Corporal Cam Long and Constable Noah Rochefort of the went out together with conservation officers Cody Schmidt and Parker Antal that evening.
It was SchmidtSA国际影视传媒檚 first plane crash response since starting in Yukon conservation officer services in 2008.
Like Austring, Schmidt said he felt ready for this type of mission based on his training and preparedness.
Austring explained how the group readied itself for up to 72 hours in the winter wilderness.
They brought snowshoes and had pre-prepared kits including a stove, shelter-building materials and fire-making supplies.
The weather was relatively warm at +1 C compared to the depths of Yukon winter temperatures that had recently passed. Brush and blown-down trees atop thick snow provided obstacles along the way.
The crew took off from Faro at around 9:30 p.m., travelling six kilometres SA国际影视传媒� as far as they could SA国际影视传媒� by snowmobile before trekking another seven kilometres on foot. By that point, at around 2 a.m., they made visual contact with the crash site.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was like an absolute honour,SA国际影视传媒� Austring said about the joint mission.
SA国际影视传媒淚'm grateful we could help to reunite them with their loved ones.SA国际影视传媒�
None of the authorities involved in the rescue operation identified the rescued individuals to the News, citing a lack of knowledge, policy issues and privacy concerns.
A search-and-rescue duty officer ordered the U.S. aircraft to launch in response to the crash in the Canadian territory, according to Alaska National Guard State Public Affairs Officer David Bedard.
SA国际影视传媒淛oint Rescue Coordination Centre-Victoria requested assistance from the Alaska Rescue Coordination at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER),SA国际影视传媒� Bedard said by email.
SA国际影视传媒淭he 176th Wing search and rescue duty officer dispatched the HC-130J Combat King II and the HH-60G Pave Hawk, both with 212th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen onboard following a request from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at JBER that in turn had received a request from JRCC-Victoria.SA国际影视传媒�
The HC-130J Combat King II is a fixed wing search and rescue plane. Per the U.S. military website, the plane is capable of refuelling helicopters in midair, allowing for long flights.
Following the rescue mission, the HH-60 made a precautionary landing in Faro, where it safely landed, per Bedard. The cause of the precautionary landing was being investigated. Bedard said by email that the helicopter needed repairs but is expected to be SA国际影视传媒渇ully mission capableSA国际影视传媒� after its return to its base.
As part of the operation, Bedard noted 144th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster IIIs flew in and out of the Whitehorse international airport SA国际影视传媒� the closest airport that can accommodate the plane SA国际影视传媒� to help move personnel. That type of cargo aircraft can do tactical airlifts and airdrops and transport patients.
In a piece Bedard wrote for the military, he put the Faro crash about 550 miles (885 kilometres) east of JBER and about 250 miles (just over 400 kilometres) from the Alaska-Canada border.
SA国际影视传媒淎n Alaska Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook, assigned to B Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, made the flight from JBER to Faro to bring 176th maintenance crews necessary parts. A regular Air Force C-12 Huron light passenger and cargo aircraft assigned to 517th Airlift Squadron also supported the repair,SA国际影视传媒� Bedard wrote.
Bedard stated the HH-60 returned to JBER on Feb. 6, 2025.
The cross-border co-operation occurred amid tense geopolitical times between Canada and the U.S. as President Trump threatened tariffs on exports to the U.S. from Canada and repeatedly talked about Canada becoming the 51st state.
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai suggested that kind of talk will not get in the way of people working together on search-and-rescue operations across the border.
SA国际影视传媒淚'm not concerned at this point that there wouldn't be collaboration between our provinces and our territories and states or countries on things such as search and rescue," Pillai said.
Sub-Lieutenant Simon Gonsalves, a Canadian public affairs officer with the Maritime Forces Pacific, could not comment on how often these types of events occur, in which the U.S. responds to incidents in Canada.
"Which agency responds is generally determined by the proximity of the event to the nearest relevant asset,SA国际影视传媒� Gonsalves told the News by email.
Carpenter said his experience acted as a reminder to be careful in SA国际影视传媒� and ready for SA国际影视传媒� the backcountry.
SA国际影视传媒淚t's a bit of a wakeup call,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Carpenter calls it a miracle that they survived. He believes God protected him and his passenger that afternoon. He was mentally prepared to live longer in the frigid wilderness, but the inReach device was a game-changer, he said. He expressed his appreciation for the people who rescued him in the midst of a Yukon winter.
SA国际影视传媒淚 just want to thank everybody that was involved in it for the effort that was put into getting us out of there,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淚've helped with, you know, putting action plans together for getting in and finding people. I've never been on this side of it.SA国际影视传媒�
As of Feb. 11, 2025, Carpenter remains on the mend. He has been told to expect a full recovery.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com