Investigators began to examine the wreckage of a float plane that crashed off the coast of Vancouver Island over the weekend, and have made some preliminary findings about the cause.

The Transportation Safety Board got their first look at the plane, a Cessna 185, after raising it from the ocean floor on Monday morning. The impact of the crash was so great that the mangled wreckage barely resembles an airplane.

The Cessna nose-dived while flying from Tofino to Ahousat on a 12-minute flight on Saturday. Pilot Damon York, 33, was killed, along with passengers Katrina Sam-English, 22, her brother Hunter Sam, 28, and their cousin Samantha Mattersdorfer, 24.

No distress calls were picked up prior to the crash.

The cause has not been determined, but investigators say interference with the pilot may have played a role in the accident. TSB spokesman Bill Yearwood said crews had already started to disassemble the plane and examine the components.

"One thing I can tell you is the damage to the propeller and that area would suggest there was power when the aircraft hit the water," he said.

Yearwood said determining the exact cause would be difficult. The plane was not taking off or landing, there were no obstacles in its way and the weather was good at the time of the crash.

"Hopefully we'll find something that tells us what happened and we'll make recommendations to prevent it from happening again," he said.

Ongoing safety concerns

Float planes are a fixture of the west coast, with thousands of flights taking off every day. But accidents do happen, including a tragic crash that claimed six lives off Saturna Island six months ago.

The majority of those killed in float plane crashes are not killed in the crash. Studies suggest 67 per cent die of drowning because they can't find their way out of the submerged or inverted aircraft.

For decades, investigators have made recommendations aimed at making float planes safer, including mandatory lifejackets and windows that can be pushed out to escape. For the most part, there has been silence from Transport Canada.

Late Monday afternoon, a promise of action came from the federal Transportation Minster John Baird, including a float plane safety awareness campaign.

"I think it's clear we don't need any more studies," Baird said in a release, adding that he had instructed his officials to undertake the following actions:

  • Implement an updated float plane safety awareness campaign for passengers and commercial operators starting in June.
  • Strengthen the investigation and enforcement actions against operators found not to be following regulations and standards.
  • Undertake a full review with industry stakeholders, safety advocates, communities and other jurisdictions
  • Investigate the possibility of implements emergency exits, pop-out windows, mandatory life vests and escape training for commercial crews

Why it has taken the government so long to address the issue, and when any potential changes will be made, are questions that remain unanswered.

With reports from CTV British Columbia's Jim Beatty and Stephen Smart