Tributes are pouring in online to remember a man believed to be the pilot of the float plane that crashed on a remote B.C. island.
The chartered flight was on its way to Calvert Island, a popular recreational spot, when it crashed around 11 a.m. Saturday on Addenbroke Island.
Four of the nine people on board died in the crash. Two survivors in critical condition were airlifted to Vancouver for treatment. The other three survivors, in serious but stable condition, were taken to a local hospital.
Although officials have not released the victim’s names, one of the deceased has been identified in Facebook posts as pilot Allen McBain.
“RIP my friend. I’ll always remember your patience with me in the air and the great banter about anything and everything,” one friend wrote.
“You died doing what you loved. Your skills certainly saved the five survivors. You will be missed greatly.”
Another friend wrote: “He lived life to the fullest. Al, you will be missed.”
Investigators from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, which investigates incidents involving air, marine, rail and pipelines transportation to improve safety, were expected to arrive at the crash site Sunday morning.
They will investigate the site and collect components of the aircraft that will be sent to the safety board’s engineering lab in Ottawa. The investigation will also look into the maintenance history of the aircraft, the pilot’s experience and weather conditions at the time of crash. There were reports of heavy rain around the time the plane came down.
The B.C. Ferries vessel Northern Sea Wolf and a coast guard helicopter responded to the crash early Friday afternoon, followed by a Cormorant helicopter and a Buffalo aircraft from 19 Wing Comox. Two coast guard vessels also responded, along with RCMP from Bella Bella, which is about three-and-a-half hours by boat from Addenbroke Island.
The Northern Sea Wolf was in the area of the crash because its route from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert passes the remote island.
The plane was operated by Richmond-based Seair Seaplanes. The company suspended all flights on Friday following the crash. After a safety inspection of all aircraft Saturday morning, Seair resumed regularly scheduled flights.
