A Cessna 185 takes off in a May 2008 photo. A plane of the same model went down near northern Vancouver Island on Oct. 23, 2013, killing all three aboard.Herb Martin/The Associated Press
The crash of a float plane that killed three people off northern Vancouver Island has devastated the owner of the company involved.
The Cessna 185, owned by Air Cab, crashed Thursday near Potts Lagoon on West Cracroft Island, a remote island near the tip of Johnstone Strait, shortly after takeoff from Port McNeill, B.C.
The pilot and both passengers were killed.
Air Cab owner Joel Eilertson said Friday that he couldn't release more information about the crash, but expressed his condolences to the families who have lost loved ones.
"I'd like to also say that I'm just extremely upset over this and really upset about the families that were involved. I'm devastated."
On Friday, Transportation Safety Board investigators travelled to the remote site about 275 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.
Glen Friesen, a TSB investigator, said he knew little about the accident, other than the plane hit some trees on the island.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
B.C. Coroners Service spokeswoman Barb McLintock said a coroner was travelling to the scene with TSB investigators and other first responders.
She said it's believed recovery of the bodies will be difficult because of the rough terrain, and she didn't expect any update on the crash before the end of the day.
The victims' names won't be released until the bodies have been recovered and, depending on conditions, that could be later Friday or possibly on the weekend.