Victims of Yukon plane crash identified

Two people who died in a plane crash in the Yukon on Tuesday have been identified.

Shawn Thomas Kitchen, 24, of Whitehorse was the pilot of the aircraft. Julia Lane, 33, of Vancouver, was the passenger, according to the Yukon Coroner's Service.

The plane, aCessna 208 Caravan operated by Alkan Air, was reported missing just after 12 p.m. local time on Tuesday after leavingRackla, a mining airstrip about 150 kilometres northeast of Mayo. The aircraftwasen route to Mayo.

The wreckage of the plane was located about 20 minutes by air from the Yukon communityand both occupants were confirmed dead at the scene, Alkan Air said in a statement Tuesday.

The coroner's service says Lane was a managing partner of the geological consulting firm ofArcher, Cathro and Associates. She had been working in the Rackla area.

According to a bio on ATACResources Ltd., the company exploring and developing the Rackla Gold Project, Lane worked in mineral exploration, predominantly in the Yukon, since 2006. She had been involved in the Rackla project since 2009. Shewas appointed vice president of exploration for ATAC in 2015 and hadbeen a partner in Archer, Cathrosince 2012.

Representatives from Archer, Cathro and Associates declined to comment.

The Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday investigatorswill arrive in Mayo to begin investigatingthe incident on Thursday.It said the RCMP will assist investigators on reaching the remote site.

The Yukon Coroner's Service says it's investigatingwith the Transportation Safety Board,with assistance from the Mayo RCMP detachment.

Condolences from premier

Yukon Premier Sandy Silver offered condolences in a statement on Wednesday.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the pilot and passenger who were on board, as well as Alkan Air and Yukon's aviation and mining communities, who have suffered an immeasurable loss as a result of this accident," he said.

Silver said the government will provide the support necessary to help the investigation into the cause of the accident.