Six dead after plane crashes in Alberta mountains as Canadian police launch probe after mystery plunge

SIX people have died after a small plane crashed in the Alberta mountains, cops have said.

The tragedy took place west of Calgary on Saturday morning, and Canadian police have now launched a probe into the mystery plunge.

On Friday night, the aircraft with a pilot and five passengers aboard took off from Springbank Airport, Calgary, and was headed for Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

The plane was reported overdue by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, and was contacted by them at 1am on Saturday.

A Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules plane was dispatched to search for the missing aircraft.

Searchers located it on Mount Bogart, about 37 miles west of Calgary, by honing in on an emergency locator transmitter, the AP reports.

The Hercules crew and Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue responders confirmed there were no survivors.

A Transportation Safety Board spokesman said the aircraft was a single-engine Piper PA-32, and the board is investigating the crash.