Floatplane that crashed was bound for Ole's Fishing Lodge, owners confirm

A floatplane that crashed into a remote island off the central coast of B.C. was bound for a family-run fishing lodge kilometres away, the lodge's owners have confirmed.

Four people were killed and five others were injured when a Seair Seaplanes Caravan crashed into heavy forest on Addenbroke Island just after 11 a.m. on Friday. The weather was rainy at the time and visibility was poor.

The owners of Ole's Fishing Lodge confirmed the chartered Cessna 208 had been headed their way from Vancouver.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with our guests and their families. We have no details to provide at this time to allow our guests and their families time to process this tragedy," owners Keith and Sari Olsen wrote in an emailed statement on Monday.

The floating lodge is sheltered in a bay off the northern end of Hecate Island along Hakai Pass. It's less than a two-hour flight from Vancouver and is a favourite destination for salmon and halibut fishing.

Seair runs charters direct to Ole's from its terminal in downtown Vancouver, usually beginning at 8 a.m. PT. The flight only had about 20 kilometres left in its 560-kilometre trip when it went down.

"Our thoughts are with those involved in the crash and their loved ones and we are devastated by this fatal accident," Seair said in a statement Friday.

The plane's pilot, Alan McBain, was among those killed. Seair said he'd been with the company for 15 years. McBain's sister, Nathalie Chambers, said he was a fastidious, safety-oriented career pilot who was "born to fly."

None of the passengers have been identified. On Friday, health officials said two of the injured were flown to hospital in Vancouver in critical condition after the crash and three others were flown to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island in serious but stable condition.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. A statement from RCMP said it is not investigating because it is not criminal incident.