Family ‘never gave up’ on teenager
19-year-old dies 2 weeks after being injured in Fond du Lac plane crash
Arson Fern Jr. was a “friendly guy” who was always smiling and made a point of saying hello to everyone he met.
Fern, 19, died around 6:20 p.m. on Christmas Day, almost two weeks after he sustained critical injuries when a West Wind Aviation airliner crashed moments after taking off from the Fond du Lac airport.
“He was always happy; he never complained about stuff,” Janey Fern said of her son in a telephone interview early Wednesday.
She and her husband, Arson Fern Sr., were also in the Dec. 13 crash.
Arson Jr., who had cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair, was trapped in the wreckage for almost three hours with two broken legs, a shattered pelvis, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding, according to family members. He is survived by two brothers and two sisters, Janey Fern said.
The family is “taking it hard” while planning his funeral, which is expected to be held in Fond du Lac in the coming days, she added.
“We never gave up on him until the day he passed away.”
The West Wind Aviation ATR42 was carrying 22 passengers and three crew members when it smashed into the forest around 6:15 p.m., moments after taking off from the remote northern community.
Everyone onboard was injured — seven critically.
“We are all overwhelmed with sadness of this news. Our thoughts and prayers are with the passenger’s family and friends during this difficult time,” Saskatoon-based West Wind said in a statement issued Wednesday.
It remains unclear what caused the airliner to go down, but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) ruled out engine failure.
The safety bureau said its investigation, which will include reviews of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, could take months to finish.
One passenger who was aboard the aircraft reported that everything seemed normal until after takeoff, when the aircraft began rocking back and forth. The shorthaul ATR-42 subsequently hit the forest and slid for about 250 metres before coming to rest.
TSB spokesman Alexandre Fournier said the agency was made aware of Fern’s death, and sends its condolences to his family.
Fournier said the TSB could not comment further as the accident remains under investigation.
West Wind Aviation voluntarily grounded its four remaining ATR42s after the crash.
On Dec. 22, Transport Canada — which regulates the country’s airlines — suspended the company’s operator certificate, citing deficiencies in its operational control system.
“We are working diligently to resolve any issues, with the aim of restarting operations as soon as possible. Safety is our number one priority, and we look forward to improving our processes to continue to serve our communities and customers,” West Wind said in an email.
The crash near Fond du Lac is the 22nd hull-loss accident involving an ATR-42 since the aircraft was introduced in 1985, according to the Aviation Safety Network, an independent initiative that tracks safety data for airlines and airliners around the world.