Joe McBryan hasn’t died or disappeared. He stepped back after license suspensions, a firearm conviction, his wife’s death, and his son’s cancer battle. His airline continues under Mikey’s leadership, while Joe remains a semi-retired, reclusive icon.
Joe McBryan—widely known as “Buffalo Joe”—is the larger-than-life founder and owner of Buffalo Airways, the Canadian airline featured on the TV series Ice Pilots NWT . As of 2026, Joe is still alive, but his story in recent years has been marked by tragedy, legal battles, and a quiet retreat from day-to-day operations. what happened to joe mcbryan
Here’s a solid, factual rundown of what happened to him: In 2018, Transport Canada suspended Joe’s pilot license for 30 days and fined him $15,000 after an investigation revealed he’d falsified logbook entries to hide that he’d exceeded flight time limits. Later that year, he was also charged with pointing a firearm (a .22-caliber rifle) at a pilot working for a rival airline in Hay River, Northwest Territories. He pleaded guilty to careless use of a firearm and received a conditional discharge. 2. Family Tragedy In 2019, Joe’s son and key Buffalo Airways pilot, Mikey McBryan, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Mikey survived after treatment, but the stress and family focus shifted operations. Then in 2022, Joe’s wife of over 40 years, Margo McBryan, passed away after a long illness. Joe was devastated and largely withdrew from public life. 3. Passing the Torch By 2024, Joe had officially handed over control of Buffalo Airways to his son Mikey, who now runs the airline and the related Buffalo Airworx maintenance division. Joe remains an occasional presence at the hangar in Yellowknife, but no longer flies commercially or manages daily operations. 4. Health and Current Status Joe is now in his late 70s (born 1945). Unconfirmed reports from local aviation circles suggest he’s had some health issues—likely related to age and stress—but nothing publicly confirmed as critical. He is alive, living quietly in the Northwest Territories, and still revered as a living legend of northern aviation. Joe McBryan hasn’t died or disappeared