Avalon Comments on Yellowknife Plane Crash TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 23, 2011) - Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSX:AVL)(NYSE Amex:AVL) ("Avalon" or the "Company") confirms that three of its staff and four visitors were injured in the crash of Arctic Sunwest's Twin Otter floatplane in Yellowknife on Thursday. The board of directors, management and staff of Avalon send their deepest condolences to the families of the two pilots who died in the crash and to all employees of Arctic Sunwest, the Yellowknife-based air charter company. Don Bubar, President and CEO said, "Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families of the two pilots who lost their lives. Their loss will be felt throughout the entire Yellowknife community." The charter aircraft was flying back from Avalon's Thor Lake exploration camp when it crashed into Yellowknife's Old Town neighbourhood. The three company employees - Brian Chandler, Chief Operating Officer, David Swisher, Vice President Operations, and Kelly Cumming, Northern Relations Manager - and four visitors were returning from a tour of Avalon's Nechalacho Rare Earth Deposit, approximately 100 kilometres east of Yellowknife. All seven passengers were injured during the crash, but none of the injuries are life-threatening. The Company has no information on the circumstances surrounding the crash which is presently under investigation by aviation authorities.